And Then There Were Two
by Sandylee007
Summary: SEQUEL to 'And Then There Were None'. Four more months have passed when new traces of Liam appear. Just then Liam finds out Reid is still alive and does the unthinkable to lure him out in the open. Will Reid survive the final round of the sick game?
1. Prologue

A/N: Heh, when I noticed the response you guys gave to my suggestion of making a sequel I just couldn't hold myself back. (grins) Soooo, here we go…!

BUT, first of all… Thank you so much for all the love and support you gave the prequel! (GLOMPS) You can't even imagine how much that means to me. So THANK YOU!

Here's the basic info for this story:

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><p>SUMMARY: Four months have passed, and the team is struggling to cope without Spencer Reid with a new girl, Ashley Seaver, having taken over his place. But then new traces of Liam appear, sending them to his tracks once more. But Liam is already one step ahead – the man finds out Reid is alive, and does the unthinkable to smoke the genius out of hiding. How will this new nightmare end? Will Reid and the rest of them walk out alive this time?<p>

TAKES PLACE: Four months after 'And Then There Were None'.

PAIRINGS: None. I know, several of you find that part disappointing (and I personally love creating pairings). But somehow it'd feel a bit like cheating to throw in one now. (winces) But no worries, there'll be romance stories from me later (if you want to read such, of course)! And there'll be A LOT of family-bonding/loving. (grins)

WARNINGS: As you've probably come to notice my stories are VERY brutal. So there'll most likely be blood, torture, gore, at least mentions of child abuse, quite a bit of sick games created by a sick mind… (glances around) Hey, where'd you all go?

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><p>Awkay… (takes a deep breath) Let's get going, before I change my mind. I REALLY hope you'll enjoy the ride!<p>

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><p><strong><em>And Then There Were Two<em>**

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><p>Prologue<p>

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><p>There were times when a forty-five years old criminal coroner Misha Elling understood why some people seemed to consider her a freak because of her job. Today was such a day.<p>

On the table right in front of her lay a young man with black hair and a tall, thin body. It was obvious that he'd been tortured, battered and abused for days, until his body finally gave in and he was ditched to a local dump. But none of that was the worst part for Ellis. The absolutely worst bit was that she'd seen this before.

Her eyes refusing to leave the corpse before her, she emitted a shuddering sigh before bringing a tape recorder to her lips. "The victim's a John Doe, approximately thirty-one years old. Multiple lazerations on upper torso, which have caused significant damage. Several burn marks and what looks like whip marks all over the body. Also signs of malnutrition, dehydration and internal bleeding. The cause of death, however, appears to be a blunt force trauma to the head, which caused massive hemorrhage." She grit her teeth, feeling her stomach knot. "There also seems to be some signs of sexual abuse, but it'll require more examining to be sure." Misha sighed, finding it surprisingly hard to breathe. "Approximate time of death…" All of a sudden she trailed off, and the recorder almost fell from her grasp. Because just then she saw what'd been engraved to the victim's shoulder, right above one burn mark. Whoever had created the sickening tattoo had used a uneven, dull blade.

'_Stay dead_', it said in bloodied letters.

Misha had seen similar on two more victims over the past three months. They'd all died under similar circumstances, they'd all been left to a dump – and they'd been almost identical to this victim.

The first two times Misha had thought that maybe it was a strange, twisted coincidence. Now she was convinced it wasn't.

Lightning may strike twice. But thrice?

Misha stood dumbstruck for a couple of moments, staring at the man who'd been through a nightmare she couldn't even imagine. And then she was able to function once more.

She took off her bloodied gloves, then swallowed while taking her phone. She owed one Aaron Hotchner a favor. Hopefully helping him find some new leads was a good enough payback.

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><p>Ashley Seaver took a deep breath, as though she'd been preparing for a dive, as she noticed that the elevator doors would soon open before her.<p>

Before she ever joined BAU, she'd known to expect that it wouldn't be easy. She'd been explained that the team had recently lost one of their own – they'd been through the worst possible trauma. They were all hurting, and it didn't make things any easier that the UnSub responsible had gotten away. The last thing they wanted was someone filling to spot of the one they'd loved and lost. And then she walked in, with the weight of her past and inexperience. None of them was openly hostile towards her. But it didn't take a lot of profiling skills to realize that she wasn't a part of this grieving, struggling family.

After well over two years Ashley would've expected things to change. They hadn't.

There was a soft 'bling' that woke Ashley from her thoughts. She opened her eyes and managed to create a smile just as the elevator doors slid open, opening her a view to the bullpen.

Quite unsurprisingly the team was already there. She blinked twice and frowned upon realizing that they'd all gathered together and were staring intently towards the direction of Aaron's Hotchner's office. "What's… going on?" she inquired.

Emily unleashed a gruff sound, Derek Morgan's frown deepened and David Rossi shrugged with a troubled look on his face. "Your guess is as good as ours", Jennifer Jareau said in the end, her voice tighter than usual. "He's been on the phone for the past thirty minutes."

They were all startled when the unit chief's door opened all of a sudden. There was a unreadable dark look on Aaron's face as the man began to walk towards them. "Let's go to the conference room. There's something I need to tell you."

They exchanged looks before following the man. This couldn't be good.

As soon as they'd all taken a seat Derek spoke, his voice carrying a shiver of impatience. "So, what's up?"

The grim look on Aaron's face didn't promise anything good. "Because of it's nature I wanted to brief this case myself." The man's eyes scanned through the team, as though preparing them. "There's been two more murders. We've got leads of Liam."

Derek's eyes immediately narrowed and filled with such fire that chilled Ashley to the spine. David also stiffened, and Emily looked fully ready to tear someone to shreads.

It was, however, Jennifer – the same JJ who was always kind to everyone, the same JJ who always watched over the group like a mother or a big sister, the same JJ Ashley had never even heard swearing – who finally hissed out the words. Her voice was so filled with uncharacteristic venom and seething rage that everyone else in the room gawked at her. "So let's go and nail that son of a bitch. We've been waiting too long."

While the others started making plans on what their next move would be Ashley leaned back in her chair and swallowed, feeling sick to her stomach.

She'd seen all the pictures and reports – she knew exactly what Liam was capable of. She knew what kind of a monster they were up against. And she didn't have the slightest clue if she was ready to face it.

Ashley's eyes darted around, quickly spotting all the grief and wrath.

She didn't think she was the only one who should've had those doubts.

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><p>In Chicago Spencer Reid – or no, Oliver Wilson now, as he quickly corrected himself – was deep in thought while he sat in his office, his unseeing eyes directed towards the mountain of unchecked essays that lay before him.<p>

This, apparently, was one of those days when Spencer's storm of thoughts made it increasingly hard for him to focus on being Oliver. It didn't make matters any easier that his once injured shoulder was throbbing. The pain gave him a nasty feeling that Liam was breathing down his neck once more.

He stiffened when someone touched his shoulder. "Penny for your thoughts, Wilson", the familiar voice of Dr. Tianna Wargas – a professor who shared the office with him – urged him. She shrugged upon seeing his surprised look and cast the mug of coffee she was carrying a far from pleased look. "This stuff tastes like something taken from a drain. I bet you'd do a much better job at waking me up."

Spencer swallowed, directing his gaze to the window. Somehow the day felt colder than before. "Do you… ever get this feeling, that something really bad is happening? I know it's scientifically improbable, at best, but…" His lips kept moving, but somehow he couldn't make a sound.

With the warm hand still on his shoulder, he felt her shrug. In a moment she walked further and took her own chair. "I don't believe in premonitions until I see more than one come to pass."

For a moment Spencer felt tempted to comment that he had seen the darkest of his omens become reality. Instead, however, he found himself creating a tiny smile. Somehow it was easy to feel at least a little bit lighter with Tianna around. "Guess so." He then focused his attention on the essays before him and emitted a far from mature sound. "I really should get these done. I've already been stalling too long."

Tianna gave him a amused look. "How long is that gonna take you? An hour and a half?"

Spencer shrugged and felt a tiny bit of heat on his cheeks. "An hour may do."

Tianna grinned, some almost child-like mischief flashing in her eyes. "Do it in forty and I'll get you some _real_ coffee."

Still tasting the horrendous aftershock of his own coffee Spencer was quick to accept the challenge. For just a moment the monsters in the back of his head felt like something he'd be able to keep at bay.

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><p>In the darkest corners of a years ago abandoned two story house the dial tone of a cell phone pierced through the absolute silence.<p>

On the dusty, mouldy floor deathly pale Liam lay absolutely still for the longest time until his fingers twitched before taking a fumbling hold on the phone. His hazy eyes barely stayed open as he answered the phone. "Talk", he barked out.

"_Listen up good, because this is big._" There was a pause, as though the other one had been waiting for him to sober up. "_Cody's still alive, Liam. He's still out there. He's in Chicago._"

In a flash all traces of drugs faded from Liam's bloodstream. His eyes weren't anything human while his fist squeezed the phone so tightly it almost broke. "Get me on a flight there, or you'll never see your wife and daughter alive again." Suddenly, for the first time in years, Uncle John's voice whispered in his head, giving him another plan. His eyes changed once more. "Or no, wait. Get me to Quantico instead…"

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><p>The following morning Will LaMontagne had a rare day off. That's why he decided to spend some quality time with his son. Henry's eyes shone with excitement when he suggested his son that they could go to a park.<p>

They got to have fun together for about twenty minutes before Will's cell phone came to life. Upon seeing who the caller was Will swore under his breath, careful to keep his tone so low that his son didn't hear, then picked up. "Oh come on, Thompson! This is my first day off in ages. You promised not to call me."

"_I know, I know_", a clearly apologetic male voice replied. There was a sigh. "_Look, this is only a quick thing, and this is a case of emergency. Finley messed up some paperwork, and now DeSalle may walk._" There was a second's pause. "_We've been working on nailing DeSalle for the past five months, and now you could finish it all in a two-minute phone call._"

Will sighed, knowing that he didn't really have a choice. "Just a sec, okay?" He gave his son a stern look. "I've gotta get something from home, but I'll be back in a minute or two. Stay right here in the meantime, alright? Don't go _anywhere_. I'll be right back."

Henry nodded. "Okay, daddy."

As Will turned and walked away this coldness he couldn't explain spread through him. What he couldn't possibly know, was that Henry wasn't alone very long.

Since he learned how to walk Henry Jareau- LaMontagne had been taught to be aware of strangers. That's why his small body tensed up completely when a tall man with bleached hair and eyes he immediately disliked stood before the swing he was occupying.

The man gave him a smile that made him start to shake. "Hello, Henry. My name is Liam." The man brushed his face with one hand. "We'll be having some fun together…"

Henry looked around with wide, frantic eyes, but couldn't see his father anywhere. His tiny heart thumped beyond any limitations while his mind sped through options. And then he chose to do exactly what his parents had taught him.

He jumped off the swing and started a mad dash towards the direction of his home.

He might've even succeeded. But the man was faster than the child had even known to expect. And although Henry had always been complimented for having fast feet in the end he was bound to lose the game.

Henry's mouth opened, but before he could emit a sound a huge hand covered his mouth and one third of his face. A large arm wrapped around his waistline, crushing him so hard that he could only comply while the hold pulled him towards the nearby bushes.

"Stay very, very quiet when I take my hand from your mouth. Do you understand? Stay quiet and be a good boy, or I'll have to hurt your mommy and daddy."

Panic shot through Henry, stinging like flames as it coursed through his system. His eyes were impossibly wide and filled with tears as he stood paralyzed to the spot, shivering like a leaf.

Suddenly something sharp struck his neck, making him yelp with pain and startle. In a few moments everything became black.

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><p>JJ didn't know how long she'd been sitting on the rooftop of the headquarters, letting cool wind caress her cheeks that felt hot from the tears that'd just spilled, when she heard a door opening, followed by steps.<p>

For one heartbreaking, desperate moment her heart stilled with anticipation when she could almost feel Spencer's familiar presence, and her skin was sent crawling. But then Aaron spoke, shattering the illusion. "I had a feeling you'd be here." There was a brief silence, mostly because she didn't say anything. "I'm going to let you work on the case. But I'm sure you understand why I have to consider if I'll let you do fieldwork."

JJ's eyes narrowed. She knew it was cruel and uncalled for, but she couldn't help feeling a hint of resentment. It exploded before she managed to restrain her tongue. "Even if you're able to bottle up all your emotions, it doesn't mean the rest of us are as good at it", she bit out. Instantly regret flowed through her veins, like morphine after a thunder of pain. She swallowed thickly, a stinging sensation taking over her eyes. "Sorry. I…"

There was a microsecond of pain in Aaron's eyes before the man shook his head, looking away. "I wish I could say you'll learn to be as good, eventually. But honestly… I don't think I want you to be."

She nodded, wiping away tears she hadn't realized were spilling. The silence around them wasn't loaded anymore.

They may have stood there for ten minutes until Aaron spoke, much more quietly than before. "JJ… There's something I have to ask you." The man's eyes were sharp as they became locked to her. "If we find Liam… What are you planning on doing to him?"

That question, albeit simple, struck JJ stunned.

What _would_ she do? Would she really be strong and restrained enough to keep everything that was bubbling right under her skin from becoming unleashed? If it came down to it… Would she be strong enough to let Liam live to face his proper punishment?

After a endless silence she opened her mouth, but before she managed to squeeze out anything her cell phone began to ring. She frowned upon realizing that the caller was Will. "Hey. Is something wrong?"

She got the first warning when she heard how Will started to cry. It took a torturously long moment before the man finally spoke in a barely comprehensible voice. "_I'm… I'm at the police station, Jayje._" A couple of more sobs rendered the man speechless. "_Someone… Someone took him. Someone took him._"

JJ's entire world became colder than any winter, and she could've sworn that her heart stopped for a mighty while. And then she ran, dropping the phone as she went.

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><p>TBC, OR NOT?<p>

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><p>AN: Sooo… (glances around rather nervously) Was that any good, at all, to you guys?

**PLEASE**, leave a review! It'd mean the world to me, especially with how insecure I always am at the beginning of a new story (even if it's a sequel). (rolls eyes at oneself)

Thank you so much for reading this!

Who knows… Maybe I'll be seeing you around?

Take care!

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><p><strong>ari<strong>: (chuckles) I ended up doing it this soon. I really hope you'll like the story to come!  
>Huge thank yous for the review!<p>

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><p><strong>cmsp<strong> : I'm happy to announce that the sequel WILL be out in just a few hours. I really hope you'll find it worth the wait!  
>Now let's hope Henry and Reid will both survive this new ordeal. And Liam really should have to pay for everything he's done. (snarls)<p>

Colossal thank yous for the amazing review!

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><p><strong>vetgirl1231<strong>: The bunny did it again. (grins) I'm on my way to posting the first chapter of the sequel.

Oh, you poor thing! (gringes, and offers tissues)

Those poor people, no? Especially Reid. (winces) Let's hope the poor thing gets to go home, to where he belongs.  
>I really hope I'll see you (and the bunnies) soon!<p>

Gigantic thank yous for the review!

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><p>: A sequel there shall be. (grins) I hope you'll stay tuned for that.<p>

Tons of thank yous for the review!


	2. The Dark Side of the Moon

A/N: Heh, looks like this update came a day or so early. 'Wonder if that's a good thing or bad…

BUT, before getting to the business… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for your fantastic reviews! (GLOMPS) I'm always insecure when it comes to launching a new fic, so your support means the world to me. So thank you!

Awkay… (takes a deep breath) I guess it's go-time, no? I REALLY hope you'll enjoy the ride.

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><p>'<em>I'm saying to myself, 'This has got to be a nightmare'. I haven't woken up yet.<em>'

(Curtis Sliwa)

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><p>The Dark Side of the Moon<p>

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><p>Flight attendant Kiki Rawson had had a extremely long night of fighting with her boyfriend. That's why she wasn't at her sharpest when she served the customers of morning flight from Quantico to New York. But despite that a strange pair caught her attention.<p>

On row fifteen sat a about thirty-years-old man with bleached hair and the sharpest eyes she'd ever seen. Beside the man slept a approximately four or five years old little boy that seemed to be shaking ever so slightly. The child's head was leaning against the man's shoulder in a extremely adorable way.

In the end Kiki's curiosity got the best of her and she found her feet leading her towards the two although a voice in the back of her head whispered warnings.

The man immediately looked at her, extremely subtly shifting his body so that he was half shielding the boy from her sight. "Yes?"

Kiki blinked once before speaking, taken aback by the tone. "Is everything alright, sir?"

The man nodded somewhat stiffly, his eyes never once leaving hers. "Yes. The boy's sleeping like a log – I think he's coming down with a flue."

If Kiki had been even a little bit more aware, she might've noticed the danger in the man's eyes. As it was she smiled. "What if I'd get a blanket for him, then?"

The man gave her a smile that made her shiver for some reason. "Thank you, Kiki."

It took about two seconds before she realized that he'd caught her name from her nametag. As soon as she recovered from her stun she gave him a somewhat awkward smile and walked away as fast as she could without making it look ridiculous.

The flight couldn't be over soon enough, she decided.

(It wasn't until an hour and a half after the flight landed the report of missing Henry found its way to Kiki.)

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><p>Even though she threw her usual somewhat cautious driving style to the wind, it took JJ eleven minutes and thirty-two seconds to make it to the police station.<p>

Eleven minutes and thirty-two seconds that felt like eternities. Will's words on the phone kept echoing in head, taunting her.

/ "_Someone… Someone took him. Someone took him._" /

The car's tires screamed for mercy when she pulled to a stop by the police station, abandoning the vehicle to a spot that'd most likely earn her a ticket at very least. Although her legs felt dangerously weak she ran faster than ever in her life – until she stopped like she'd ran into a wall of bricks.

There were tears all over Will LaMontagne's face when she stormed in. He lifted his gaze upon hearing her steps. As soon as he saw her the tears kept rolling faster, so violently that he could barely speak. "I… I'm so sorry, JJ. I'm so sorry…!"

The scream – or perhaps a howl – that crawled through her throat broke the hearts of everyone who heard it. At that moment she couldn't control her body anymore. Will or even the police officer walking past her didn't have the time to break her fall until she'd already stumbled ungracefully to the floor.

Will moved as though planning on touching her before changing his mind. "Jayje, please calm down – we'll get him back. Just get up."

She didn't. Didn't even hear. She knew it was cruel and unfair, but her eyes were full of flames and something dark when she cast them at her husband. "What happened?"

Will shuddered like someone had just stabbed him. And started to speak in that same forcibly detached voice he often wore at work – it was the voice she'd made him swear to never bring at home.

He told her how he took Henry to a park, because the boy begged to get there although it was far too cold for it to be really enjoyable. His voice changed, gained a hint of something she didn't recognize when he continued to tell that he received a very important call from work, such he had to take. He almost whispered when he finally revealed that he left their son all alone, for less than three minutes but still – how he came back to find nothing but a couple of droplets of blood from the ground. He spat out those words like they'd been acid on his tongue, never once meeting her eyes.

For a minute or two JJ couldn't react in any way, couldn't think or feel. Then something so dark and vicious she couldn't recognize it took over, made her unable to control herself.

The following moments were later nothing but red blur to her. She managed to recall unleashing a scream that should've come out of a wild beast, remembered quite faintly that she smacked someone hard enough to cause a sickening sound. And then she ran away, as fast as her feet could carry her, deaf to the cries pleading her to stop.

JJ had no idea where she was going, but her subconscious side seemed to have an idea.

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><p>Dr. Tianna Wargas wasn't nosy, not really. But sometimes curiosity managed to get the best of her. That's exactly what happened when she entered the office she shared with Dr. Oliver Wilson after a lecture, and noticed that the one locker he usually kept firmly locked was now wide open.<p>

The said man was nowhere in sight. This was most likely her only chance to get answers that'd been bugging her since the man took over half of the office.

Making sure no one was about to walk in she approached the locker and peered in. What she discovered made her frown.

There was nothing but a simple photograph of what looked like a team of some sort, four men and three women. They weren't all smiling openly, but it was clear that they were enjoying each other's company. One of the men caught her attention so sharply that her heart skipped a beat. The man had brown hair and eyes, and he wasn't wearing glasses, but… Gosh, he was a exact replica of Oliver!

She'd always imagined Oliver as a loner who knew just about no one outside the university. So who were these people? Because it looked like they'd meant a lot to him. And could the man on the picture really be Oliver? Why would he have changed his appearance so much?

It was a small miracle that she managed to catch the approaching steps before she would've been caught red-handed. She'd just sat to her own chair when Oliver walked in. "I noticed the pile of papers is gone from your desk", she commented instantly.

Oliver looked at her with visible confusion while sitting down. "Yeah, I finished a while ago."

"The bet was that I'd get you coffee if you'd finish with the essays in forty minutes, remember?" She grinned. "You were done in thirty. So let's go."

Oliver frowned. "But the day won't be through in two hours."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh please! You work overtime pretty much every day, and I've got at least a five hours to spare. So let's go." Seeing the incredulous look on his face she came close to breaking into a laughter. "It's not like we'd be committing a deadly sin. So come on, Wilson. Live dangerously just this once. It won't kill you."

Oliver licked his lips, still looking a bit like a deer caught in the headlights. She was stunned when in the end he nodded slowly, even came close to smiling just a little bit. "Okay."

As they left the building she couldn't help noticing the way Oliver looked around, as though expecting something or someone to attack. For a moment or two she wondered if he was always like this outside the university, even went far enough to muse what could cause such behaviour. But then she stopped herself vehemently.

Perhaps some secrets were best left buried.

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><p>Henry was still partially asleep, scared and extremely confused when his eyes finally opened halfway. At first his tiny heart was pushed beyond its limits when he saw nothing but blur, but little by little his gaze managed to focus on a wooden roof that had a dusty, filthy and ugly lamp hanging from it. Henry frowned, curling so that he was as small as possible, and swallowed although his throat felt sore.<p>

What… was this place? Why did that man want to bring him here? Where were mommy and daddy?

That last question spinning around his mind brought tears to Henry eyes, and his lower lip quivered dangerously.

Daddy would be so, so mad at him because he'd ran away like this. And mommy would be worried – she always worried, about him at least. What would they say to him when he'd go back home? They'd yell, of that Henry was sure. Yell and cry. He didn't want to see them cry.

Just then something jumped on him, startling him so badly that he yelped. His gaze turned quickly, frantically searching for the attacker. He found himself staring at a grey cat that had sharp, yellow eyes.

Despite the situation and fear, Henry smiled while stroking the cat's fur. The animal didn't seem quite sure what to make of the affection and recoiled slightly. "Hey, kitty", Henry greeted quietly, unsure of why he was whispering.

The feline looked at him with big, mistrusting eyes, not daring to move. And then there was a sound of door opening. The cat jumped off of him with a loud mew and disappeared into the furthest corner. Henry felt the need to do the same when Liam walked in. He was far too young to name the look on the man's face, but he didn't like it.

"Well good morning, Henry. You're finally awake. Guess what that means?" Liam closed the heavy, metallic door he'd just walked through and started to approach the cat. "We can finally get the games started."

Henry's eyes widened significantly when Liam picked up the cat although the feline hissed and growled in a protest. "Leave him alone!" Henry screamed, his voice full of tears. Some of them spilled when the man crushed the animal to his chest, making the feline's anxiety grow. "Please! You're hurting it!"

Liam gave him a smile that chilled him while walking towards him, the struggling animal held tightly in his irony hold. "Oh, no I'm not – not yet. But you see, this cat is just a part of the game. It's just a part of the cycle of life."

Henry could do nothing but watch when Liam freed one hand and pulled out a long, sharp knife. Henry was crying openly while the man kneeled and placed the clearly discontented cat to his stomach, holding it there. "Please don't, please!" Henry begged although deep down he knew the man wouldn't listen. The cat was clawing him hysterically, making his tears fall harder. "Don't hurt it!"

But it was already too late. The man brought the knife down, and in a couple of seconds the cat screamed before growing utterly still and silent. There seemed to be blood all over Henry.

Henry had never screamed like that in his short life.

* * *

><p>Spencer was by no means an expert when it came to relationships between men and women. But according to the knowledge he had over such matters, men were supposed to walk women home.<p>

Perhaps it was logical that in his case things worked the opposite way round.

He cast a somewhat wary glance towards Tianna, who was walking beside him towards the house in which he lived and talking excitedly about some new theory she'd just come up with. The situation felt so foreign that he had no idea what to think about it.

They were by no means on a date, not even close – it wasn't long he'd considered her a little bit more than a colleague. But it felt strange for him to feel comfortable around her. He hadn't felt that way with anyone outside his BAU-family.

It made the torturous gnawing of homesickness inside him ease just a little bit.

He didn't wake up from those thoughts until he realized that they were stood before the block of flats where he was currently staying.

Tianna arched an eyebrow and grinned, taking in the sight of the shabby yet oddly cosy building. "Looks like you."

It was his turn to arch an eyebrow. "Should I be offended?"

Tianna's expression was nothing short of cheeky. "That's up to you, doc." She then shuddered slightly with startle when her cell phone bleeped surprisingly loudly, announcing that she'd received a text message. She read the message and grimaced. "I've gotta go." She gave him a brief wave, moving to leave. "Thanks for company. See you tomorrow, Wilson."

Spencer felt his stomach knot, the feeling of comfort from before vanishing. How was he supposed to be comfortable around anyone when he couldn't even tell who he was? "Yeah. See you tomorrow."

Spencer watched her walk away for a couple of moments, a strange feeling of dread rising within him, then turned the opposite way and walked into the building. He was deep in thought while he opened the door of his apartment, ensured the five locks installed to it and fed his loudly mewing cat.

Feeling this restlessness he couldn't explain, Spencer decided to direct his over excitement to something productive and opened his computer, then logged in to his work e-mail.

As a professor Oliver Wilson received a lot of e-mail. But one of the fifty new messages made him lose his breath for several valuable moments.

It was sent by 'Uncle John'. There was no message to it, only a file that looked like a web-camera recording. In a flash he wished he'd never opened it.

The picture quality was absolutely horrible, but he could nonetheless make out all too clearly what was on it. Liam, now with bleached hair, sat on a bench in a almost dark room. In the man's arms was a hysterically crying Henry, who had blood all over his face and clothes. After about two gut-wrenching minutes the screen went black until scarlet text began to appear.

'_Let that team of yours lead you to me, or Jennifer will never see her son again. Or which life do you consider more valuable?_

_Our game is nowhere near finished, Cody._

_The clock is ticking._'

Less than a minute later his chair was empty.

* * *

><p>When Will called Aaron – explaining that JJ once gave him the number just in case – and told the whole situation to him in a weak, shaking tone, the unit chief felt sick to his stomach.<p>

Aaron's thoughts spun around in wild, angry circles until Will told him quietly that JJ was now missing as well. She'd ran out on him as soon as she heard everything. He'd gone home as soon as the police was done asking him questions but there wasn't a trace of her. Since then Will had already checked everywhere and had no idea where she'd gone.

Will wasn't a profiler. Aaron was.

Aaron grit his teeth so tightly it hurt before managing to speak in a voice he didn't recognize. "I think I have a clue. I'll let you know as soon as I find something."

After a breathed out 'thank you' from Will the phone call ended. Neither of them was in the mood for a long conversation. In a couple of seconds he took off, trying to ignore how weak and heavy his feet felt.

Less than ten minutes later Aaron walked slowly through a gate he'd wished he'd never have to open again, and trekked through the seemingly endless journey to his destination. Once he was there his feet pulled him to a sudden stop while the bleak sight seemed to crush him under its weight.

JJ was right there, less than five steps away, fallen to her knees before Spencer's grave. She wasn't crying at the moment, but it was easy to tell that she had been not too long ago. She was still shivering like a leaf while staring at the name on the tombstone. Her lips were parted slightly, as though the words on the tip of her tongue had been stuck there. It didn't look like she'd even known the rest of the world existed.

Aaron braced him as far as he could, then dared to take a cautious step forward. In an instant JJ stiffened and looked over her shoulder. She didn't relax until several moments after discovering him. She looked away, appearing embarrassed. "I… came here to talk to him, but… I don't know what to say."

It seemed Aaron had the same problem for a while. His voice sounded off when he finally spoke. "I'm sorry, about Henry. But we'll find him – he'll be alright." It sounded flat even to his own ears, but it was the best words could do in such a extreme situation.

It appeared JJ didn't even hear him. Her eyes grew watery for a while until she blinked the moisture away with all her willpower. She was almost whispering when she spoke again. "Do you know what's the worst part?" She swallowed even though it appeared painful. "If the police will ask me what Henry was wearing this morning… I don't remember – I don't have a clue. Everything was a chaos this morning." She wiped her cheeks with a angry motion. "I snapped at him, when he dropped a mug. I made him cry. I'm not even sure if I told him I love him before going to work. And now… Now I can't even get up, when I should be looking for him." She grit her teeth so hard it hurt even him. "I'm never there when those I love would need me the most. What does that say about me?"

After only a moment of hesitation Aaron laid a hand to her shoulder. She leaned in to the comforting touch. "Trust me, he knows how much you love him. Henry's a smart kid." He looked at the tombstone, unsure if he should voice the rest. "And Reid knows how much he means to you as well."

JJ's facial muscles tightened. "But I still wasn't there for him when I should've. I wasn't there when he…" Finally she looked at him with eyes he didn't recognize. "I'm not going to lose my son as well. I can't."

Aaron opened his mouth, still feeling a ton's weight on his chest. But in the end he realized that he couldn't speak out the just about only words that would've offered her any consolation, so he pressed his lips together tightly once more instead. He looked away, unable to meet her eyes anymore. The weight on his chest grew tenfold as they kept staring at the tombstone in a grim silence.

Aaron had always been a good liar and actor. This was the first time he truly despised himself for it.

* * *

><p>It was nearing nine in the evening, and Erin Strauss would've wanted nothing more than to go home. She longed for good vine and a dinner with her husband, especially because the day had been <em>hell<em> due to Henry's abduction.

The following day the team had been supposed to go to New York to investigate the newest leads on Liam. But there was no way the team would've been able to work on a case, especially one that involved Liam, under these circumstances. That's why, despite their objections, Erin announced that the case was cancelled. Since then she'd made about a million phone calls and completed a gigantic pile of paperwork in order to explain everything properly. About a hundred people had yelled at her and Erin was so pissed off that she had a migraine.

And the team was, of course, a mess. Penelope Garcia had barely managed to keep herself from crying when she'd stopped by at the woman's office to finalize cancelling the case. Derek and Aaron looked fully ready to kill. And JJ… was a wreck. She'd seen JJ briefly before Aaron had herded the distraught woman into his office, and hadn't needed a lot of profiling skills to notice just how unstable the younger woman was. One look at JJ's face gave her a very loud premonition of doom.

So now all Erin wanted to do was to go home and get her mind off of all the day's load. But fate seemed to work against her once more. For as she was walking through a already pitch black parking lot she suddenly sensed that she was no longer alone.

She stopped in her tracks and stiffened, her eyes darting around. She couldn't see anything out of ordinary in the darkness.

Or didn't until she took a look towards her car.

Erin wasn't one to become shocked easily. But at that moment ice ran through her veins and her eyes grew significantly.

The man leaning against her car, his arms folded tightly to his chest… He just couldn't be who she thought he was. That man was supposed to be dead.

Erin managed to convince herself of that until the man's eyes – very different in color but still the same – rose to meet hers. He swallowed with visible difficulty and shifted uncomfortably. It seemed to take ages before this Dr. Spencer Reid look-alike finally spoke in a chillingly familiar voice. "I… I think we need to talk."

For some reason Erin's very first coherent thought was that now she'd have to call her husband and put that dinner on hold.

* * *

><p>TBC, or…?<p>

* * *

><p>AN: If it offers you guys any consolation, it _hurt_ me to write that scene with the cat. (winces) Those poor people!

So… (gulps) What's the verdict, folks? Was that any good at all, or is delete-button calling? **PLEASE**, leave a review! It'd totally make my day since it's rainy and gray were I live. (gives puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE (if you want such, of course): Reid's returns flips JJ's world upside down. How will the team react when he tells them his intentions? On a flight to New York they prepare for the final chapter of the nightmare to begin. And Liam is right there waiting for Cody Jones…

Until next time, folks! I really hope I'll c ya guys then.

Peace out!

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><p><strong>ari<strong>: (chuckles) I did, didn't I? For once!

I'm thrilled to hear the first bit sucked you in! I truly hope you'll find the next one as captivating.

HUGE thank yous for the review!

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><p><strong>sarahloulabellx<strong>: I'm THRILLED to hear that you like the plot revealed thus far! (grins from ear to ear)

Let's hope Henry comes out of this unscratched, no? Because otherwise JJ would be crushed. (grimaces)

Massive thank yous for the review!

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><p><strong>vetgirl1231<strong>: The bunnies win again! (smirks) And AWWWWWWW – that ninja one is absolutely, totally, super adorable! See how fast I updated? (chuckles at oneself)

Poor JJ indeed! This is all hell for her. And she doesn't even know that Reid's alive! (sighs) Let's hope Reid gets his closure, and that the bastard of Liam pays dearly for the pain he's brought on so many people! (hisses)

Colossal thank yous for the review!


	3. Morning of the Living Dead

A/N: (grins) I did it again – a update after a reasonable amount of wait! Yay?

BUT, of course… Before getting to the actual business… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for all those reviews! (GLOMPS) Never in a million years could I have imagined that a sequel could get a response like this. You guys rock! (hugs again)

Awkay… (takes a deep breath) So, before I change my mind (or fall asleep on my laptop…), let's get rocking. I REALLY hope this'll be a exciting ride!

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><p>Morning of the Living Dead<p>

* * *

><p>The BAU-family had faced several shocks together, been through things that would've torn most people apart. But nothing could've prepared them for what they'd face when they were called into conference room by Erin Strauss at seven in the morning.<p>

JJ came in a little bit after everyone else, soundlessly and unnoticed. She frowned upon seeing the rest of the team staring at something or someone with open shock. What she faced made the world around her grow completely still.

Erin was already in the conference room, a grim look on her unnaturally pale face. Sitting on the opposite side of the long table was Spencer Reid.

He had black hair, blue eyes and a attire JJ couldn't remember ever seeing. But nonetheless it was Spence. The same Spence she'd _buried_, the same Spence she'd cried after.

JJ felt the entire world tilt before her eyes, and for several moments she was _sure _she'd pass out. Her body shook violently while so many surges of emotion coursed through her veins that her hammering heart could barely take it. She blinked abruptly when her eyes blurred, scared to death that the sight before her might shatter.

For several endlessly long moments she couldn't breathe, couldn't think at all. Then Spencer looked at her, his eyes widening as he finally discovered her. Her mind went from 'pause' to 'fast forward' in a microsecond. It made her feel like her head had been about to explode. Suddenly the man she'd buried was alive right before her eyes.

JJ's mouth opened, to produce what she had absolutely no idea. But before she could make a sound Aaron spoke, clearly not having noticed her a couple of steps behind him. "Reid? What… are you doing back?"

JJ was in a state of shock, that much she realized. But nonetheless her mind clicked in a couple of seconds, filling her with cold that brought agonizing stinging _everywhere_ to her body. It was like she'd been thrown into ice water.

Aaron… had known, that Spencer was alive – it was highly likely they all had. They'd all known that…

A choked sound broke through her throat, finally revealing her presence to the rest of the group. There was a flash she'd never seen before in Aaron's eyes. "JJ…"

JJ didn't want to hear it, didn't need the weight of those words.

She'd spent well over two years – almost three – grieving the loss of one of her most precious people, endured that agony for nothing. Her son had been taken. She'd spent the night before in a hotel, unable to face Will and their house without Henry in it. And now… Now she found out that those people she'd trusted the most had betrayed her, lied to her. Pushed her through one of the two worst hells of her life.

How was she supposed to take hearing anything from them?

Aaron's lips moved, but all JJ heard was the rush of her blood and the thumping of her heart. After some brief seconds of paralyzing shock she turned on her heels and stormed out of the room, not giving a damn about where she was headed.

It was only sane to run away before she'd punch someone.

* * *

><p>In New York the little morning's light Liam allowed into his newest captive's room cast strange colors and shapes onto the floors and walls as he watched the child sleeping. Strange surges he couldn't understand spun inside him while he took in the tear stains on the child's face, observed the rise and fall of a small chest.<p>

"You've been doing a very good job, Liam", Uncle John's familiar voice commented from his right. Turning his gaze he found his father and mentor watching Henry with openly pleased, appreciative eyes. "I'm very proud of you."

Liam's chest swelled and warmth spread all the way through him. "That means a lot to me." He felt a nearly suffocating urge to reach out his hand towards the older man's, but in the end didn't dare to. He didn't want to risk shattering the moment of bliss. "The trap is already closing – he'll be here soon. And then this will all be over." His eyes and nostrils widened, and he had to swallow when anxiety formed a lump into his throat. "Then I can finally be with you for real. Then I'm finally worthy."

"Patience, Liam", Uncle John immediately admonished him. The hand that brushed his cheek was cold, but nonetheless made a burning hot flash of ecstacy run through him. The front of his pants felt a bit tighter than before while he gasped once, out of breath. The older man smiled at him. "Soon we'll have all the time in the world. Soon Cody Jones won't stand between us anymore. But first you must make him pay, do you understand? You must make him suffer for taking me away from you. Then we'll be together."

Liam attempted to speak, but he was much too choked up. And then it was too late – Uncle John had already vanished. Feeling a bout of undirected rage Liam unleashed a far from human growl and balled his fists so tightly that nails dug into skin, drawing blood. A mere blink later he stormed out of the room, slamming the door closed as he went.

He needed a new fix, _fast_. Otherwise the burning in his veins would never subside.

What Liam didn't know, was that as soon as he left the room Henry opened his eyes, which grew wide in a matter of moments as they stared at the closed door. The child was shaking uncontrollably while curling into a tiny ball.

Liam… Who was he talking to? Because Henry heard no one answering him, heard no one else in the room. Did he have a imaginary friend, too? Henry had one, before he turned four and came to a conclusion that it was silly.

Without a warning a sob broke through his throat, and a couple of tears rolled.

He missed mommy, and daddy too. He wondered how mad they were at him. Would they even want him back? Liam had said to him that they didn't want him anymore, that they would've given him away anyway. Would there still be a home for him? Because he really wanted to go home. He wanted his mommy to hug him and tell him that everything was going to be alright.

He closed his eyes and used absolutely all his imagination, managing to trick his mind into believing that his mommy was holding him. In the end he cried himself to sleep.

* * *

><p>After JJ's departure it felt like time had stilled in the conference room as everyone stood absolutely still with thumping hearts.<p>

In the end Spencer was the first one able to move. He managed to take one step towards the door before David stopped him with placing a hand to his chest. "Give her a moment to cool off, okay? Let her calm down."

Spencer nodded with a torn look on his face, his eyes moving slowly from the door to the team still gathered into the room. Slowly yet surely the slightest of smiles made its way to his face. "Hi."

And at that very moment a invisible barrier broke.

Spencer's arms flailed with startle when without a warning Penelope Garcia wrapped him into such a hug that most likely took his breath away. "Gosh, Baby Boy", she murmured, so quietly that the others barely heard. "It's good to see you."

It took a moment before Spencer returned the hug with some hesitance, blinking furiously. "It's… It's good to see you, too", was all he managed.

In the end Derek stepped in, deciding that he'd have to do something before the blonde would squeeze Spencer to death. "Let him breathe, okay?" As soon as Penelope let go of the brunet he gave the younger man a smile and patted the genius' back. "Welcome back, kid."

Spencer's eyebrow bounced up. "Kid?"

Derek's grin widened. "Always."

Spencer rolled his eyes but smiled.

Emily was the next one to step up. At first it looked like she'd hug Spencer, but instead she reached out a hand and wiped some invisible dust from his shirt, from the spot that was above the heart. The two exchanged a look that spoke something no one else would've been able to read.

A few moments later Spencer's eyes turned towards Aaron. The two shared a nod, clearly deciding that words weren't needed. It was the first time in ages the rest of the team saw the unit chief come close to smiling.

None of them noticed how Erin Strauss left the room, coming to a conclusion that the inevitable _talk_ could wait until later. The team had been through so many nightmares, and it looked like there was more to come – she could let them have this much.

It wasn't until the young woman cleared her throat the rest of the team remembered Ashley Seaver. There was a openly confused look on her face. "So… You're Reid?"

* * *

><p>It was completely silent in one of the witness protection unit's headquarter's many offices as director Joshua Bowman, who'd just turned thirty-five, stood behind the thick wall of glass that separated him from his subordinates. The attention of his hazy green eyes shifted many times before focusing on Ray Holloway.<p>

Ray had lied to him – Cody Jones was alive, after all. Alive and well. And because of that Joshua's wife Meredith and daughter Lindsay were under the mercy of Liam's fickle mind.

Bitterness burned in the pit of Joshua's stomach when he lifted a almost full glass of vodka to his lips, emptying it. The liquid burned in his throat on its way down, making him shiver and cold sweat rise to his forehead.

It took almost two minutes before he was functional enough to take his phone and dial numbers. He almost changed his mind twenty times before there was a response after the fifth ring. "_I assume you have good news?_"

Joshua grit his teeth to hold back a storm of nausea. "Everything's been taken care of. Cody will be there this evening."

"_Good. That's good._" Liam held a second's teasing pause. "_It's been very pleasant to do business with you, Joshua._"

Joshua's heart thumped so hard he feared it might not be able to take the abuse. His eyes stung hellishly. "Just… Just let my wife and daughter go. Let them go. Leave my family alone already." So saying he hung up.

Joshua stood absolutely still for about five minutes until his mind was focused and gathered once more. He turned with such calmness that chilled him and headed to his desk, then opened the middle drawer. There was a gun waiting for him.

For a fleeting moment Joshua felt fear, but then it disappeared like a wave had washed it away. His eyes glazed over as he took the gun, pointed it at his head and pulled the trigger without any hesitation.

(Exactly twenty-four hours after the news of Joshua Bowman's death reached daylight Meredith and Lindsay Bowman were found from the side of a lonely road. Lindsay was completely covered in blood and in a state of shock as she sat next to her mother, curled up into herself as much as it was possible. Meredith was naked and chillingly still in her death, but there wasn't a drop of blood on her. The only hint towards what had killed her was a clean, skillfully sutured cut across her throat. To the flesh of her stomach the killer had engraved '_They pay for the sin of you taking the easy way out._' Autopsy revealed that Meredith had been seven weeks pregnant.)

* * *

><p>Time seemed to move in odd patterns while JJ sat in the break room's uncomfortable chair, her face buried into her hands and her whole body shaking violently with shock she could barely handle without screaming. Her lungs were so tight that they were barely functional, and her head was spinning dangerously. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't erase the foul taste from her mouth.<p>

And then, like her head wouldn't have been about to burst already, familiar steps entered the room. It took a long, crushingly heavy moment before Aaron spoke. "You do understand that we didn't have any other choice, don't you?"

She grit her teeth so tightly that a nasty, loud screech could be heard. Her voice shook dangerously while she spoke, her tone carrying such rage that chilled her. "You made me lose him! You let me grieve him! You watched me falling apart, and you… and you never told me!" Her voice was loaded and choked. "You… You never trusted me enough to let me know. Do you have any idea how much that hurts? You _saw_ how much I was hurting, and it never even crossed your mind that you might be able to tell me." She paused, panting when all her breath seemed to disappear. "I thought…!"

"JJ." Aaron's eyes seemed even darker than usual when she finally met them, enough so to silence her despite all the fury lingering inside her. "I'm sorry that it had to hurt so much. But it was never a matter of trust, and you know it. If you'd been in the same situation, you would've chosen the same. You would've thought of him first instead of yourself. You care about him enough to know that."

JJ's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything.

Just then the two sensed that they were no longer alone. Their eyes were sharp with adrenaline as they darted towards the room's door.

Spencer seemed to feel utterly uncomfortable when they both focused their attention to him. He cleared his throat and adjusted his weight to another leg, regressing back to ancient habits. "JJ, can I… Can I talk to you, for a bit?"

She nodded tersely, folding her arms. She wished she could've said something but didn't trust herself enough to open her mouth.

Aaron left the room, apparently deciding that he could finish his conversation with JJ later. Spencer spoke as soon as they were left alone, as though afraid that he might change his mind if he didn't. "Are you… okay?"

Those words broke something inside JJ. There were some tears on her cheeks but she didn't even notice them as she half-glared at him. "Henry… Henry's missing – he's in the hands of some sadist. Then… Then I found out that you're still alive after I've been _fighting_ to figure out how to rebuild my life without you in it. How the hell am I supposed to be okay?"

Spencer blinked twice, taken aback by her tone and atypically harsh words. He swallowed and licked his lips. "JJ, I… I'm so sorry, that I had to put you through that. I'm sorry." He grit his teeth and looked away. "I'm sorry, about everything. I never…"

He never got the chance to finish, because just then she lost the little control she'd had. Her hold was most likely crushing as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. It took several moments of shock before he managed to respond to the hug, and in the end he leaned his forehead against her shoulder.

JJ's body shook faintly. Only a tiny, distant part of her realized that it was because of sobs. "Promise me… that we won't lose you again. Because… Because I don't want to bury you ever again. I couldn't take having to bury you again."

Spencer didn't say anything while he tightened his hold on her just a little bit.

* * *

><p>When Henry woke up again his head hurt. Tears filled his eyes, and he didn't dare to open them in fear of making the agony worse. Despite all his resistance a sob broke through.<p>

He wanted to go home, to his mommy. His mommy could always make him feel better when he was sick or hurting.

It took a moment before Henry's foggy head recognized the sounds. He was in a car, and the driver shifted. "So you're awake? Good."

More sobs and tears broke through, making Henry feel even more miserable. His lower lip quivered as he half-whispered. "'Head hurts."

"I'm sorry about that – I had to give you a quite strong dosage because you wouldn't stop squirming. Just do us both a favor and don't throw up into the car. I'm sure you wouldn't want to clean up the mess."

Henry could no longer stop himself from crying openly. "Please", he pleaded, with the despair of a horrified child. Sobs struck him speechless for a long while. "I… I wanna go home. Please. To mommy and daddy."

Liam didn't speak. Henry had never felt that defeated in his short life.

It was the second time that morning Henry cried himself to sleep.

* * *

><p>Ashley's head was hurting while she walked into the chillingly isolated bullpen. Everyone else was preparing for leaving, because in less than two hours they'd head towards New York. Not only were they following the trails of Liam, but according to a flight attendant's phone call Henry had been taken to the city. If they were lucky they'd be able to find them both very, very soon. And apparently some higher power had been at work because Spencer would be going with them, not as a agent but still. As soon as Erin had announced those news she'd told Aaron to come with her for a talk in her office. The talk was, apparently, still in progress.<p>

Ashley was, she discovered, absolutely terrified. She'd never faced anyone like Liam before – her father was a picture of kindness and compassion in comparison to the monster they were now after. And she had very little experience. How was she supposed to be able to handle something like this? How was she supposed to be able to handle it all when there was so much at stake?

Her chaotic trail of thought became cut when she discovered that she wasn't alone. Spencer was sitting before a computer, staring at the screen intently. At first she didn't think much of it, but then she noticed what he was watching. Her heart stilled for a second.

On the screen was none other than Liam, with bleached hair but still the same as in the pictures she'd seen. On his lap that man had a bloodied, hysterically crying Henry.

And then the text began rolling.

Ashley's eyes widened, and her head spun. Suddenly Spencer's sudden return from the death made all too much sense to her. It was all for Henry – the genius was preparing himself for a one more round of Liam's sick games.

Ashley swallowed thickly, her hands starting to sweat.

She knew that there was a huge decision to be made, one that could cost her future with the FBI. But before she ever got the chance to make up her mind her cell phone started to ring, startling both her and Spencer so badly that they jumped. His eyes were wide as he turned towards her, seeming to fall even paler than before.

Ashley's hands shook when she picked up the phone, never remembering to take a look at who the caller was. "Yeah?" she breathed out.

"_Hello, Ashley._" She recognized the male voice from all those interview tapes of psychiatrists. It was the same charming voice that lured strangers into growing fond of him, the same way a flame allures the moth. She felt like the walls had been closing in on her. "_By now I'm sure Cody – I'm sorry, _Dr. Reid_ – is there with you. I'd like to speak to him alone for a minute. There are some… instructions I must give him._"

She took a deep breath that made her feel lightheaded. "I've never met him."

"_Strike one, __Beauchamp._" Liam was growing audibly irritated. There was something that sounded like tapping, or perhaps rain, on the background. "_Your father still writes to you, doesn't he? Did you know that he writes to your mother, too?_"

Ashley's breath wheezed while her pupils dilated. "My father is dead."

"_Strike two_", Liam practically hissed, sounding like a snake. He held a moment's pause, and the tapping she'd heard before intensified. "_Be very, very careful now, or your round of the game ends short._" There was another pause, slightly longer. "_He writes to her every day – I know, because I've been writing to him, too. We've been very good friends for the past five years. He's quite eager to meet both you and your mother. And with a new… playmate I just found, I might just be able to make that happen – unless, of course, you agree to play with me a little._"

Ashley's breathing pattern was becoming unhealthy, and it could be heard. "You know I can't do that."

"_Give Dr. Reid the goddamn phone, or you and your mommy will meet your daddy very, very soon. You may be a FBI agent. But do you honestly think you could ever hide your mother well enough to fool your father? He's always managed to find the girl he's after – that's one of his greatest talents, that's the biggest reason to his success._"

Ashley's stomach turned when she looked right at Spencer's eyes, registered the storm of emotions in them when the man seemed to realize what was going on. She knew she should've hung up. Instead she took a step closer, mental images of her mother and the victims of her father flashing right before her eyes in a endless horror movie.

"_Tick tock, Ashley. Your mother needs you._" Liam's voice had changed, like another personality had taken over. There was a taunting second of silence. "_Oh yes, and one more thing. Give the rest of the team a single hint of the fact that I've… approached you, and both you and your mother pay the consequences. Trust me; you don't want to play another round with me after barely passing the first one._"

Spencer's eyes were unreadable when he outstreched a unsteady hand. "Give me the phone, Ashley", he whispered, careful to keep his voice so low Liam couldn't hear. "Everything going to be okay."

Ashley grit her teeth as hard as she could to hold back a scream as she handed the phone to Spencer. She kept her eyes on him for exactly two more seconds before she couldn't stand the look on his face anymore and turned around, storming out of the suddenly suffocatingly small room. Her mind didn't have the lead – her feet did.

And instead of Aaron's office they led her to ladies' room.

Already as the decision was made Ashley had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

><p>TBC, or…?<p>

* * *

><p>AN: Uh-huh… Looks like things will be turning sour very, very soon… (shudders) (And damnit! Is there ANYONE Liam wouldn't be prepared to threaten?)

(gulps) So… What's the verdict – did that deliver, or crash and burn? **PLEASE**, leave a review to let me know! It'd mean to world to me to hear from you. (gives puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE: The team heads to New York, and towards murky waters. Things are still tense with JJ trying to overcome all the secrets and lies, Seaver fighting to figure out what to do and Reid preparing himself for what he must soon do. Liam's net grows tighter than ever before, and the long awaited meeting is almost at hand.

Until next time, folks! I really hope you'll all be staying tuned.

Take care!

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><p><strong>ari<strong>: Poor Henry indeed! (hugs the poor thing) And poor, poor cat! I LOVE animals, so writing that scene made me feel sick to my stomach.

I'm thrilled to hear you enjoyed the previous bit! (smirks) And how about this – it looks like the updates aren't slowing down. ('The least I can do with all those cliffies)

HUGE thank yous for the review!

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><p><strong>cmsp<strong>: No worries, hun! You weren't late at all.

GOSH! My chest is swelling with pride at how many scenes got under your skin in that one. It was a quite emotional piece – I'm absolutely thrilled to hear it managed to affect you! That's a fantastic compliment to a author. (beams) We'll see how much drama and suffering there's to come, because it looks like the story isn't over yet… (winces)

Tons of thank yous for the amazing review!

ps: Don't worry about the language one bit! I think your English is excellent. (nods and hugs)

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><p><strong>vetgirl1231<strong>: NINJA BUNNIES! (glomps them all) You sure know how to please me – and coach me into writing faster!

We'll see just how much drama the next bit bring. I really hope it meets your expectations!

That SOB must pay. Period. (shudders with disgust) Let's hope it'll be slooooooooow and painful.

Massive thank yous for the review, and bunnies! I hope I'll see you and the bunnies again soon.


	4. The Flight of the Dragonfly

A/N: First of all, **I'm so sorry that I didn't get the chance to respond to other than anonymous reviews before posting this new chapter!** But I had to choose between sending the responses or this chapter first, so I thought you'd like to see this chapter. (winces) I'll try to send the responses in 24 hours, I swear!

AND, I'm so, so, so sorry that it took me so long to update! (groas) I was struck by a HUGE writer's block. (rolls eyes) Your reviews got me through, it THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart those messages you've sent! (gloms) They mean A LOT.

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting too long… (gulps) Let's go! I really hope this turns out worth the wait.

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><p>The Flight of the Dragonfly<p>

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><p>Ashley had been in several uncomfortable situations during her relatively short life. But none of them could've compared to the team's flight to New York.<p>

Aaron and David were sitting in the furthest corner, exchanging a occasional word here and there but mostly looking out the window with far too solemn expressions. Quite close were Spencer, who was clearly feigning sleep and had a deep frown on his face, and Derek, who'd immediately taken a seat next to the younger man as though to guard the genius from a threat that couldn't be seen just yet.

It felt like they'd all been waiting for a bomb to go off. But that wasn't technically what made Ashley want to squirm on her seat. The reason to her discomfort was JJ, who was sitting on the seat opposite to hers.

The blonde was angry, that much could be seen even without any profiling skill. Angry, hurt and confused. And worried. Ashley didn't miss all those looks the older woman sent Spencer's way, as though to assure herself that the genius was really there.

Ashley hesitated for the longest time before speaking. "They were only trying to protect him", she pointed out quietly. "They didn't want to lie to you."

JJ's eyes darkened and jaw tightened before the woman spoke. "I don't think you understand." The blonde looked towards Spencer once more before refocusing on her. "This team… We're a family – we're not supposed exclude each other from this important matters. We're not supposed to keep secrets like this from each other."

Ashley's mouth opened, fully ready to spill out the secret that was burning like acid – to reveal that Liam was already waiting for Spencer. But then flashes of her mother filled her mind, making her will falter for a critical second. When the flashes finally stopped they started landing, and it was too late for any secrets to crawl out.

And Ashley felt like she'd been betraying the entire BAU-family while she walked out of the jet by Spencer's side, feeling like she'd been escorting the man towards his doom.

* * *

><p>Chief Mitch Hansen – a fifty-years-old man who'd lost almost all of his pale-brown hair nearly twenty years ago and the respect of most of his subordinates even earlier – allowed the curious look of his tiny, hazel brown eyes scan through the team crowding his small office.<p>

After hearing the full story of Liam, of what the man had done before New York, he had a entirely new perspective on the monster they were after.

"So…", he began eventually. "You're here to help with Liam."

The leader of the team, Aaron Hotchner, nodded stiffly. "That's right – we were under the impression that you had some new leads, and that you needed our assistance." The man mused for a while before going on. "We're… also here, in search of a missing child."

Mitch was no profiler, but he didn't miss the look of agony and longing that flashed in the older blonde haired woman's – JJ, wasn't she? – eyes. He nodded slowly and leaned back in his chair. "There's been a string of brutal murders we've been able to connect to him. He's definitely alive and operating here in New York." He grit his teeth, wondering how much more he was willing to give away – he didn't want these people stealing his glory. "He associates with people who are good at keeping quiet, but there are two places we've managed to connect him to. There's a house that belongs to a dealer named Sandman – a witness has seen Liam go in and out of that place, until he stopped almost a week ago. And then there's this motel we suspect to be ran by a bunch of working girls. He was a regular customer for a long time."

Aaron nodded, then focused on his team. "Morgan and Seaver, we'll be going to that motel. Prentiss and Dave, you go and check out that house." His eyes then shifted to JJ. "I'm sure you understand why I can't take you out on the field. Plus, the local police wants to ask you some questions on Henry."

JJ nodded although her eyes told that she was far from happy about the decision.

Aaron's attention then turned towards Spencer. "It's not safe for you to be out in the open. One of the officers is going to take you to the hotel. You can answer questions and give information there."

"I can drive him", Derek offered. The man seemed to be fidgeting a little. "One of us needs to take a look at that place, anyway."

Aaron nodded, seeming to understand something deeper than Mitch did, then spoke. "Alright, then. Let's go."

Just before Spencer left Mitch spoke once more. "Hey, kid… You're the only one who's made it out of his hands and lived to tell about it. You're lucky."

The tiny smile the brunet gave him seemed uneasy. With that the team left.

All but one, that is. The younger blonde woman named Ashley stayed behind, a troubled look in her eyes. She didn't speak until she was sure they were alone. "There's… something, I haven't told the team. But I think you should know, for Reid's sake." She swallowed and folded her arms. "Liam contacted him, before we headed to New York. I think they made a deal of some sort, to protect JJ's son. Liam's the one who has him."

Mitch arched an eyebrow, feeling tingling under his skin. "Why are you telling me this?"

Ashley seemed even more troubled than before. "I want you to protect him – make sure he doesn't end up into Liam's hands again. Because… Because I don't think he'd be able to handle going through that hell all over again."

Mitch's smile revealed some teeth. "Don't worry, I'll do what I can to keep him safe. Thank you for telling me."

A smile of relief appeared to Ashley's face when she nodded. With that she left his office.

Mitch's brain worked in a breathtaking speed when he leaned his chin to his hands, the tingling from before spreading all over.

He'd been looking for Liam for a long time. Now… Now he might just have exactly what he needed to catch that asshole. With Spencer, he'd definitely managed to smoke Liam out of his hiding place. And an arrest like that… was bound to mean big things.

A huge grin spread to his face.

That kid was his one chance of snatching that promotion everyone was talking about. And he'd be damned if he'd let it get away.

* * *

><p>After the visit to the police station it was decided that the hotel was definitely the safest place for Spencer to be in. The genius wasn't officially a agent anymore, and it was more than likely that Liam would come after him if the man caught a glimpse of the brunet. Spencer protested against the decision, but in the end wasn't given much of a choice.<p>

Derek was as careful as possible while securing the small, almost sterile colored hotel room. With that he managed to avoid facing the actual reality for some precious moments, until he had to turn towards Spencer.

The man was stood before the hotel room's window, staring out deep in thought. It wasn't until then Derek realized just how much the younger man's eyes had aged during their time apart.

Derek cleared his throat, wondering where the lump stuck there had come from. "We'll be out on the field, but Hotch made sure there's always someone keeping an eye on this room." Although they both knew with bitter certainty that there was fairly little anyone could do against Liam.

Spencer nodded almost mechanically. "Okay."

Derek was almost sure that there was a great deal of anxiety on his face when he looked at Spencer. "We'll get you through this, you know? We'll get through this together. I'm not going to let Liam hurt you again." They both hoped his voice hadn't shaken the way it did.

The last time even the combined forces of BAU and witness protection unit had failed to keep Spencer safe from Liam. Derek hoped from the bottom of his heart that they'd do a better job this time around.

The dark look on Spencer's face spoke louder than any words could've. It took a long moment before the man actually spoke. "Do you want to hear the statistics for that?"

Derek winced. "Not particularly."

Finally, he managed to coax a honest smile out of Spencer. It made everything feel a little bit less horrible, out of control.

It seemed they were both on the edge, because they jolted visibly when there was a knock and Aaron came in. There was a unreadable look on the unit chief's face. "It's time to go", the man informed them.

A look of reluctance appeared to Derek's face, but they all knew that Aaron was right. Derek gave Spencer's shoulder a squeeze before he went, hoping that the gesture filled all the blanks hollow words would've left. He didn't dare to look over his shoulder as he went, nor did he want to look at Aaron.

They'd bring an end to this nightmare, he told himself. There just wasn't any other option.

As the two left Spencer stared at the door for a moment, dark thoughts he would've liked to ignore rising eagerly. Luckily the trail was cut when his cell phone snapped to life.

Spencer frowned at the unfamiliar number but picked up after quite a bit of hesitation. "Yes?"

"_This is chief Hansen. I need you to listen up carefully._" The man's voice sounded tight, agitated. "_That agent of yours, Seaver… She just told me Liam's contacted you. She assumes you have a deal with that guy. I think I can help you._"

Spencer swallowed thickly, loud warnings echoing in his ears. "How?"

"_Liam's an expert on building traps, right? Now I'm trying to make one for him, but I need you as a bait – nothing else would work. So are you in? This may be my only chance to catch that son of a bitch._"

Spencer had a extremely dark feeling in the pit of his stomach, such that always came when he was making a huge mistake. But it wasn't just his life on the line, now – it was Henry's as well. And that's why he made the decision he did. "What do you need me to do?"

"_One of my men will come and bring you here. Be ready in twenty minutes._"

* * *

><p>In the meantime in one of the worst parts of the city there were stern looks on the faces of Emily and David as he parked in front of a tiny house that, judging by the looks of it, should've collapsed a long time ago.<p>

David's gaze shifted to Emily, easily took in the troubled look in her eyes. "We'll find them, okay? Both of them. But until then we need to stay focused or this nightmare will never end."

Emily's eyes eased, but only slightly. "I know." Her jaw tightened before she apparently made her decision and left the car. "Now let's go."

David nodded, not feeling the need to say anything, and followed her.

They weren't all that surprised to find the tiny house's door unlocked. It was easy to tell that there wasn't anything worth stealing in there. Making sure there were no unpleasant surprises waiting for them they entered, both coughing at the amount of dust lingering in the air.

At first they saw nothing in the dark house that would've aroused suspicion – there wasn't even any furniture. But then David spotted something on the floor that stood out. Droplets of blood, which formed a path towards stairs that led downstairs. He gave Emily a signal of his discovery and she nodded. They both took out their guns before moving towards the stairs.

Emily reached out a hand and flicked the switch right beside the stairs. No light came. She hissed almost soundlessly and flicked the switch again with no results.

David grit his teeth while they both took their flashlights. He didn't like this, at all, especially if they had to move in the dark. There was no telling what dangers lurked in these shadows.

They advanced slowly and carefully, constantly scanning through their surroundings for signs of traps. To both their stun there were none – it looked like Liam had wanted to be able to move around quickly. It looked like no one was supposed to find their way in.

Or perhaps out.

David and Emily had both seen things that would never stop haunting them in their dreams. But none of those things could've prepared them for what was waiting as they reached the end of the stairs and found themselves from a tiny room where the reek of death, blood, vomit, urine and feces circled around them.

Sitting on the floor, in the middle of his own secretions and vomit, was a man who seemed about thirty-years-old. The man was shivering like a leaf, naked and so skinny that it was a easy task to count every single one of his bones. Some of them were clearly broken. His skin was so white that it was nearly transparent, which made the huge bruises, scars, cuts and burn marks stand out in a sickening way. There was blood all over the tormented body. The man had been tied from his wrists with metallic chains that had long spikes on them. Some long ago dried blood covered the metal, indicating that the man had stopped fighting a while back. There was a moldy bread almost right in front of the man but he couldn't see it – not when his eyes had been sutured closed.

Those things on their own were horrifying. But what truly got to them was that although the man's eyes couldn't be seen and he'd been shaved bald roughly – probably with a blade of some sort – he looked terrifyingly familiar. He looked just like Spencer Reid.

This was another victim of Liam sick games.

David gulped thickly, feeling sick to his stomach. And at that moment he muttered the first words that floated to his mind. "Holy shit…"

It wasn't until then the man seemed to realize that he wasn't alone anymore. The abused body began to shake violently and some drool spilled to the man's jaw, dripping to the floor. "P-Please…!" It sounded like the man hadn't talked in ages. He gasped several times before managing to speak again. "P-Please… Let me out, please…! It's so dark, it's too dark… Please! Please, no more…!"

David's mouth opened, but nothing came out. He couldn't move a muscle.

It was Emily who managed to operate first. Her voice sounded off as she contacted their backup. "This… This is agent Prentiss, from location bravo. We need a medic."

* * *

><p>For a remarkably long time JJ actually did as she'd been instructed and stayed out of the field, answering a police man who made the same damn questions she'd already answered a million times. She sat tight and kept the storm inside her from boiling over even when the man started flirting with her, clearly not noticing the ring on her finger and completely oblivious to the hell she was going through. In the end she couldn't take it anymore. She left the security of the police station and headed towards the hotel, barely managing to hold back the tears that would've desperately wanted to erupt.<p>

She didn't go to her own room, though. She nodded at the police officer stood behind Spencer's door and showed the man her badge, then knocked. It took four seconds she counted carefully before Spencer opened. What she met made her want to take a step backwards.

The upper part of Spencer's torso was uncovered, which left his stomach visible. It was the first time she saw the scar Liam had left there the last time those two men met. A shiver crossed her when it all hit her.

The scar was big, and she could tell that in a very dangerous place. They'd come only inches from really losing Spencer.

It was around then Spencer finally seemed to realize that he wasn't dressed properly and blushed, hurriedly attempting to fasten his kevlar vest with badly shaking hands. "Uhm… Sorry – I was just…" He trailed off, clearly having difficulties with making his fingers cooperate. "It's… been a while."

Finally coming out of her stupor JJ entered. "Let me help you, 'k?" Her own hands were far from stable as she fastened the vest properly. Her hand rested above the spot of his scar for a bit too long until she finally pulled away when he fidgeted. "There you go."

Spencer nodded and put on a black shirt Derek must've given him, not quite willing to meet her gaze. "Thanks."

The silence that lingered between them was stiff and uncomfortable, such that'd never been there before. It was bitterly amusing that when JJ still thought Spencer was gone there was a million things she would've wanted to say to him. But now, when he was right before her, alive and well… Now she couldn't squeeze out even a single word.

They both jolted with startle when her cell phone began to ring all of a sudden, sounding unnaturally loud in the middle of all the silence. JJ didn't have to look to see the caller was. Will had been trying to call her at least twenty times since the morning but she didn't feel ready to talk to him yet. There was too much venom in her. The phone kept ringing until the call was directed to a voicemail. The silence from before returned, ten times heavier than before.

In the end Spencer swallowed, his eyes darting around restlessly to avoid meeting hers. Finally, visibly bracing himself for it, the man really looked at her. "Henry… You'll get him back, I swear." The man looked down and licked his lips, appearing ashamed of himself. "I… I know he shouldn't have ended up in the middle of this to begin with, but… He'll be back home soon."

JJ opened her mouth, but in the end realized that Spencer had struck her speechless. So, instead of words she resulted to actions.

Spencer jolted when she wrapped her arms around him, trying not to feel uncomfortable with his bulletproof vest. In a few moments he overcame the sharpest tip of shock and returned her embrace, first awkwardly, then a bit more tightly.

And then, in a surprisingly subtle and swift move, he was gone from her arms before she realized what was happening. He didn't look back at her while heading towards the room's door.

Finally, exactly one second before it would've been too late, JJ managed to utter the words. "It's not your fault. Any of this. Don't forget that." She wished she would've asked him where he was going, but somehow couldn't bring herself to. Maybe she didn't want to know.

For a moment Spencer paused, then gave her a tiny, somewhat sad smile over his shoulder before leaving the room soundlessly.

JJ stared at the closed door for the longest time, wondering why there was a stinging sensation in her eyes and a weight pressing her chest. Then, deciding that she was in a desperate need of something to do, she took her cell phone. Her fingers shook, along with the rest of her body, while she dialed Will's number and pressed 'call'. It wasn't until she heard his voice she finally broke down into tears.

* * *

><p>There was tension and this stinging sensation under Derek's skin while he, Aaron and Ashley stood behind the door of a extremely questionable looking block of flats that had the reek of death and shady life hanging all over it.<p>

Aaron already raised his hand for a second, even firmer knock until the heavy metallic door was opened before them. As much as Derek had seen during his life, he had to blink twice at what greeted them. And it wasn't just because of the odour of sweat, semen, blood, cigarrettes and who knows what else that hit them across the face.

Stood on the door was a approximately twenty-three years old woman who was at least a head's hight shorter than him, but could've easily passed for someone much taller due to the aura around her. On her she had nothing but long, red leather boots with the highest heels he'd ever seen and a nearly transparent reddish-black dress that would've made any man blush with its shortness. She hadn't even tried to hide the gun tied to her thigh. Her short black hair that had pink stripes on them had been lifted up to point towards every imaginable direction, like a howl of rage against the world. What struck them the most, however, was her face, and not just because of the half a dozen piercings Derek managed to catch without staring. One half of them carried a tattoo that looked almost like leopard's fur – if one looked closely, it was possible to tell that the decoration was supposed to hide some nasty scars.

The woman arched one eyebrow of her heavily made-up sharp green eyes and tilted her head slightly. "So… Did you three come here for some special treat?" She folded her arms. "I don't suppose any of you has the password?"

Derek managed to snatch his badge before the others and showed it to their new friend. "I assume this will do."

The woman didn't look impressed. "The FBI, huh? Now this is new." She glanced around to the alley behind them, irritation flashing in her eyes. "Get in here, before you chase away all customers."

It was impossible to tell how big the apartment complex they were taken into was – the almost dark hallways seemed to spread everywhere, and each of them had what looked like at least ten doors. Sounds that made chills run down Derek's spine echoed everywhere; screams, moans, begs, vicious snarls… He couldn't even imagine what was going on inside those rooms.

They were eventually led into a small, oval shaped room that had strikingly red walls and a furry black carpet covering the entire floor. Even Derek had to look away from the extremely suggestive, vulgar paintings covering the walls.

It felt like they'd discovered a whole another planet.

"You can stare at it if you like, Sugar. There's no need to hide it." It took a while before he realized that their new friend's almost purred words were directed at Ashley. The black haired woman gave the blonde a look that left nothing to be questioned. "If you like the tattoo on my face, you should see the one close to the equator…"

Ashley blushed and looked away.

Derek was glad Aaron cut the situation before he would've felt even greater need to interfere. "We're here for some information." The man's eyes were dark and hard. "We could start with your name."

Once more the woman gave them a look that disturbed Derek. "I'm sorry. I've dealt with some… customer-issues this morning – my manners aren't what they're supposed to be." She looked at them all, finally focusing on casting Ashley a glance from underneath her eyelashes. "I'm Bambi, the queen bee of this place. How may I help you?"

Derek grit his teeth, irritation mixing with something he would've rather not experienced on duty. "Does name Liam ring a bell to you?"

Bambi's eyebrow bounced high up, and he finally had the woman's full attention. "Liam? So you're after him?" She emitted a strange, almost hissing sound. "That's one sick puppy. Some… very unique requests. He came here sometimes, until I had him banned."

Aaron frowned. "Why?"

Bambi's expression darkened. "He went rough on one of my girls." She pointed towards the tattooed side of her face. "I had to get this in the aftermath. He didn't appreciate it when I gave him a piece of my mind." She sighed slightly and shrugged. "Nicky quit because of him. A pity, really – she was one of my best girls." She pursed her lips and looked at Ashley, measuring up the blonde up and down. "She looked quite a bit like you, actually. I think you'd be very popular here, Angelface."

This time Aaron took an actual, loudly speaking step towards Ashley when the blonde stiffened. "Do you have any idea where he lives?"

Bambi moved her eyes slowly, reluctantly, from the other woman to Aaron and shrugged, appearing bored. "Our customers pay well for privacy, agent. But, if you want to find him, I'd try Candy Shop. That place is probably the closest thing to a home he has."

This time Derek's eyebrow arched. "Candy Shop?"

Bambi's eyes darkened significantly while her entire body language changed. This matter was clearly making her feel uncomfortable. "You're obviously not from down here, if you've never heard of the Candy Shop." Then, getting a hold of herself, she grinned in a cheeky manner and clicked her tongue, her eyes flying towards Ashley. "Oh Blondie, they'd eat you up alive there."

At that point Aaron gave Bambi a look that would've made most grown men shiver. "An address. And the sooner the better."

* * *

><p>Already as he approached the exact chair by a park Liam had told him to take there was a warning whispering in the back of Spencer's skull. He glanced to both sides as far as he could without making it visible, but didn't catch a glimpse of the snipers. Suddenly he felt much colder than before.<p>

This reminded him of a scene in a horror movie when the innocent person comes home, alone, and calls out 'Is there someone there in the shadows?'.

At this point, though, just like many of those people in the movies he already knew there _was_ someone out there, close by. He could feel it.

"_Dr. Reid._" Chief Hansen's voice sounded static and slightly high-pitched when coming out of his earpiece. "_The snipers have taken their positions – there's four of them, covering every angle. Everything's ready._"

Spencer grit his teeth and balled his fists. If he could've, he would've told the other man that there was no way to be ready for Liam.

Adrenaline was rushing madly through his veins. That's why he was able to notice things he might've ignored any other day.

Things, like how a woman sitting on the opposite side of the park suddenly took out a pocket mirror and opened it in such a position that rays of sun hit it, radiating towards a dark spot behind her. Towards where one of the snipers was. The woman's hands shook while she looked around, as though expecting someone or something to attack her.

Things, like how two teenagers who seemed to consider themselves great protesters climbed up to the rooftop of a block of flats, spreading a huge blanket that stated in gigantic scarlet letters '_Be ready! Today may be your judgement day!_'. Back in the station Spencer had seen a paper that had the spots of each sniper written down. One of them was in that exact building, and Spencer would've been surprised if not in the apartments the blanket covered.

Spencer's pupils dilated and his fists balled while blood stilled in his veins. His breathing gained a strange, wheezing sidetone.

Two out of four had been taken care of. And somehow he had a feeling that this was just the beginning.

* * *

><p>On the rooftop of a store quite near by Alexa Thompson – a thirty-three years old woman with extremely shortcut black hair and piercing green eyes who'd been one of the most praised snipers in New York for the past four years – hissed out a impressive list of cusses when listening to the messages streaming through her earpiece.<p>

Yves was blindsighted.

Benson's line of vision was blocked.

That left just her and…

She shivered with surprise when hearing approaching steps and turned her head quickly to see the final member of their team, RJ Olson – a man of her age with seemingly foggy gray eyes and shortcut angry-red hair – walking towards her.

Alexa frowned, stiffening for some reason. "What the fuck are you doing? You should be on your spot. Yves and Benson…" All words got stuck in her throat when RJ pulled out a gun that had a silencer on it – and pointed the weapon at her.

RJ tilted his head. "'Sorry about this, Sweetcheeks. Last night was good fun. But business is business."

Alexa opened her mouth, but before a single word could come out the shot was fired. And she knew nothing anymore.

There was little emotion in RJ's eyes as he watched how Alexa slumped down, her half-open eyes carrying no life in them. He stepped out of the way when her blood began to meander towards his shoes and switched to another earpiece. "All clear here", he announced.

"_Very good_", Liam stated in a openly pleased tone that was very different from the one he faced whenever they met as a dealer and client. There was a second's pause. "_But I hope you understand that you still owe me seven hundred dollars. The product I sold you was of good quality._"

RJ's eyes narrowed slightly, and he had to bite his tongue before he dared to speak. "Yes. I understand."

"_I'm glad we've reached an agreement. Now, as I said there are two favors you must do for me. It's time to reveal the second one…_"

* * *

><p>Spencer fought furiously to keep breathing properly while the gravity of the situation unfolded right before his eyes.<p>

"_Dr. Reid._" Chief Hansen's voice was frantic, shaky. He heard the man gulp. "_I… The snipers aren't responding to my calls. I have no idea what's going on. We should…_"

Spencer didn't hear the rest because just then something fell to the bench next to him, startling him so that he shuddered. Looking to side he found a book – 'The Flight of the Dragonfly'. His hands shook pitiably while he took the item cautiously, as though afraid it might bite, and opened it. He frowned upon discovering that at least a hundred pages of the book had been carved out, leaving a rather large gap. In the gap lay a tiny glass vile that had bluish substance in it.

And then someone sat down beside him.

In that one, ice cold second Spencer _knew_. Knew even before the arrival spoke.

"I rather enjoyed that book – it was very different from what I usually read. It's a pity I had to destroy it." Liam shifted to a more comfortable position. "Did you know… that dragonflies usually live only about a month? Their lifespan is amongst the shortest in the animal kingdom." The man's voice was as smooth as the finest of blades, almost purring. He felt the man's eyes on him. "You, I believe, are quite a lot the same."

Just then a flash of Henry's face from that sickening web-camera recording appeared to Spencer's line of vision. Rage overpowered every single one of the million emotions dancing inside him as he hissed. "What have you done to Henry?"

"He's physically unharmed, if that's what you mean. For now." There was a moment of silence. "I'm not a monster, Cody. As long as you play nice with me, I have absolutely no reason to hurt that brat. I would hurry if I were you, though." The man pointed towards the vile attached to the book. "If I've counted correctly, Henry should have about an hour, maybe two, left before the poison I gave him takes full affect. That thing over there… It's his only hope."

Rage, along with such terror he'd _never_ faced before, took over Spencer, struck him breathless and speechless. A stinging sensation attacked his eyes, forcing him to blink rapidly. "You… poisoned him?"

"Yes." Liam scoffed. "Oh, don't look like that. It's not up to me whether Henry lives or dies – as it is, his fate is in _your_ hands. You're the only one who can give him the antidote." The man looked at him for a second. "So, Cody… Will you come with me? Or will you go back to the team and tell Jennifer that you let her son die?"

* * *

><p>TBC, right…?<p>

* * *

><p>AN: Oh boy… (winces) It looks like things are turning sour, huh? Let's hope the team manages to bring an end to this nightmare before it's too late…

So… How was it – worth the wait, at all? Trash material? PLEASE, leave a note to let me know! By know you've gotta know it'd mean the world to me to hear from you. (gives puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE: Spencer faces a entirely different chapter of the nightmare. Liam has developed over the years – and this time he must try to save himself and Henry. The team works their hardest to find them, but will they be too late?

Until next time, folks! I REALLY hope you'll all join in then. And I promise, I'll send those responses as soon as tomorrow!

Take care!

* * *

><p><strong>ari<strong>: (chuckles) Honestly, I have no idea, either. What can I say? I probably fell on my head when I was born. (smirks)

BUT, I'm ecstatic to hear you enjoyed the chapter! (beams) 'Hope the next one doesn't fall flat, either.

Massive thank yous for the review!

* * *

><p><strong>cmsp<strong>: Woah! (beams like a madwoman) GOSH, how insanely happy and flattered hearing that makes me!

I REALLY, really hope the story won't lose its edge in your eyes even with the next, LONG overdue chapter.

GIGANTIC thank yous for the fantastic review!

* * *

><p><strong>vetgirl1231<strong>: I've missed the bunnies so much! (beams)

I'm absolutely thrilled to hear the chapter pleased you so – and particularly pleased that you liked the scenes with Reid and JJ (those were amongst my personal favorites). (grins from ear to ear)

Let's hope that this nightmare ends well, and Reid gets to REALLY come back to his family. They've missed each other so much!

Monumental thank yous for the review! I REALLY hope the next one turns out worth all the wait.


	5. Welcome to the Jungle

A/N: Oh crap, it's taken too long. (winces) I'm so sorry, but I've been having a pretty nasty writer's block. (groans) But now my head is at least somewhat back on track, so I dared to jump back on the sadle. Yay…?

BUT, first… Colossal thank yous for your fantastic reviews! (GLOMPS) This story would go nowhere without your support. So thank you! (hugs again)

Awkay… (inhales sharply) I think it's go-time. I REALLY, really hope you'll enjoy the ride!

* * *

><p>Welcome to the Jungle<p>

* * *

><p>There was pure chaos in the police station when Aaron, Derek and Emily walked in with far from friendly looks on their faces. With a bloodhound's instincts and some questions no one would've dared to leave unanswered Aaron found the correct person.<p>

Chief Hansen looked like he'd been approached by the mob when they marched into the conference room where the man had been hiding. "I'm sorry, but…"

"We just learned that you had Reid called out of his secured hotel room and onto field", Aaron interrupted in a hazardous tone. "We have the right to ensure he's safe."

For a moment chief Hansen seemed ready to bolt out of the room, but then obviously realized that there was no way he'd succeed. There was a deep, shuddering breath. "I… had a reason to suspect, that there might be a easy way, to catch Liam." The man swallowed convulsively. "I… I sent four snipers, to give him cover. They were supposed to take Liam down." The chief's eyes were full of naked fear and confusion when the man finally looked at the team members. It took several gulps before speech finally came. "I… I just got a word, from the team I sent over to find out what's going on. And… Three of the snipers were dead, one was missing."

"What about Reid?" Derek's voice shook dangerously, as did the man's body. "Is he alright?"

Chief Hansen's eyes changed, terror and remorse filling them. It took several torturously long moments before the man was able to produce speech. "I… I'm sorry, but… He's missing – all we found was a small amount of blood. We have no idea where he is."

For a while shock numbed and paralyzed the three of them. But then realization dawned on them, like the affect of painkillers had worn off.

Emily shuddered and folded her arms, like someone had just shot or punched her. The woman's eyes turned several degrees darker than usual.

Aaron – their fearless, stone hard leader – closed his eyes and grit his teeth, looking just about ready to throw up.

And Derek… Derek _exploded_, with the force of a atomic bomb. It took the combined force of Emily and Aaron to keep the man from attacking chief Hansen. "You… You let him go out there, with a pathetic amount of security! You let Liam get to him! You let him…!" The man's lips kept moving, but no sound came.

Utter, grim silence filled the room while the full weight of the harsh reality at hand fell on the team.

The nightmare had began all over again. And this time… This time, there may not be waking up from it.

* * *

><p>Spencer woke up extremely slowly, and for the first couple of moments he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes.<p>

There… was this smell that made his stomach flip upside down. And a strange, extremely irritating sound of scratching. Were there… rats, around him?

Where was he?

That chilling question – to which he didn't necessarily even want an answer – finally pulled him fully back into awareness. His eyes opened, slowly and with much resistance. At first he saw nothing but strange, white fog until the world around him became clear once more.

He was in hell. Had to be.

The room had only the exact amount of light he needed to catch a vague glimpse of what was going on, coming from a badly smoking oil lamp that'd been placed close to the ceiling. The walls were made of visibly rotting wood, the stone made floor – which was covered in rats' feces, dust, old and newer vomit and long ago dried substance he wouldn't have wanted to identify – had rats moving everywhere. The smell hanging thickly _everywhere_ was heavy and sickening, and although he would've rather avoided the thought Spencer couldn't help wondering if there was a rotting body somewhere.

And like that hadn't been bad enough his frantic eyes then spotted Henry.

At least Liam had been gracious to give the child a old, moldy mattress, but that was where the good news ended. The child looked far too still while laying there with his eyes closed, shivering like a leaf. There were tears all over Henry's face and one of the child's hands had been pressed tightly against his stomach in a obvious attempt to chase away pain. The boy's face looked deathly pale in the dark.

The poison… Spencer's heart almost stopped.

How long had he wasted?

He tried to open his mouth, only to realize that there was a loose sheet of fabric tied around his face, so that his mouth remained closed. That was when he realized that there was something in his mouth, hanging on his tongue. Something made of glass.

Spencer's eyes grew wide as realization traveled through him.

_The vial – the antidote…_

He honestly couldn't tell if Liam's voice whispered in the room, or inside his head in memories.

'_Whatever you do, Cody… Don't swallow that brat's last hope._'

Spencer's heart began to race madly, and in that moment of sheer terror he took a step forward – only to realize that he couldn't go further. It wasn't until then he became aware of the horrendous pain all over his back.

Unsure if he really wanted to see, Spencer peered cautiously over his shoulder to assess the damage. His stomach knotted at what he found.

His back was so covered in blood that it took a while before he managed to really see. The skin had been pierced by at least fifteen chillingly big hooks, each of them had a metallic wire that led to the ceiling. Apparently those hooks were what'd been keeping him standing while he'd been unconscious. Now… Now they were keeping him from getting to Henry.

To get moving, he had to rip himself free.

Spencer's breathing turned rapid and shallow, and he felt his pupils dilate while a million thoughts sped through his brain. And then, with such resolution that he surprised even himself, he came to his decision.

Firmly pushing aside the question of how deep the hooks went, of how much damage he'd bring, he squeezed his eyes shut and grit his teeth – then took a step forward.

* * *

><p>In a hospital room that was full of pale light and the hollow sounds of several machines time seemed to stand still while David and Ashley sat in absolute silence. While Ashley focused on staring out the window with barely seeing eyes David's gaze kept straying towards the man who lay in the bed before them. Despite the oxygen mask, baldness, wounds, scars and about a million tubes and wires the patient looked terrifyingly familiar. It took a lot of effort before David managed to get the man's real name into his mind.<p>

The patient was Ryan Ennis, a twenty-something drug-addict Liam had abducted several weeks – perhaps months – ago. They'd only managed to pry that much before the man's condition had crashed and he'd been unable to say anything to anyone. According to Ryan's doctor it was a miracle that the man was still alive. A few more days, and the man would've died of multiple infections, starvation or dehydration, or perhaps a combination of them. According to a tox-screen and several tests his lifestyle might've taken him to a grave even before that if he'd never met Liam. A bleak ending to a even bleaker story.

David folded his arms, trying to bite back a sigh.

This was just a junkie Emily and he had found from that basement, a victim who'd been unlucky enough to fall into one of Liam's traps but lucky enough to survive this far. So why did he feel so… responsible? Why did his heart skip a beat whenever there was abnormality on the screen of the patient's heart monitor?

Both agents shivered with startle when there was a unexpected, animalistic sound, and it took a moment before they realized that it was Ryan moaning. Instinctively David leaned closer with a frown, even dared to move the patient's oxygen mask just a little bit. "Kid? Can you hear me? Are you in pain?"

At first it looked like Ryan sunk straigth back under. But then there was a feeble whisper. "Elle…"

David exchanged looks with Ashley before refocusing on Ryan. "Who's Elle?"

Ryan didn't seem to hear. The man's breathing became loud, laboured, and it seemed to be only a matter of time before it'd stop altogether. The formerly sutured eyelids twitched madly while the heart monitor went crazy. A couple of tears leaked. "Elle, she's… She's still in there, in Candy Shop… Save her, please… Find Elle."

"We'll find her", Ashley spoke before David got the chance to open his mouth. There was a unreadable look on the young woman's face. "I promise."

Those words seemed to give the tormented man the comfort he needed. Ryan inhaled once more, then relaxed completely. Floated out of awareness.

Before, the doctor had said it was a miracle if Ryan should wake up again. It was highly likely that the miracle wouldn't repeat itself.

Ashley swallowed so loudly that David heard it, then pushed herself up from the chair. "I… I'll go, and tell Hotch about this." She gulped again, then hurried to add. "I need some air."

David nodded, feeling strangely numb. It wasn't until Ashley was almost gone he found his voice. "You shouldn't give promises, if you're not sure you can keep them."

The expression on Ashley's face couldn't be named when she first looked at him, then let her eyes travel towards Ryan. "In his situation… Don't you think a fool's hope is better than no hope?" With that she left.

David wondered if he should've followed her. He didn't. Instead he shifted to a more comfortable position and started waiting.

* * *

><p>Spencer's skin, as well as the tissue below it, gave in terrifyingly easily.<p>

The fire hot, blinding pain that exploded inside him was unbelievable. It took all of Spencer willpower not to scream out loud while the agony swept him off his feet, sending him to the floor. Blood, he didn't want to even guess how much, flowed down his back as fast as pain sped through his veins.

It took far too long before his head finally stopped spinning from agony, and he managed to haul his body up from the floor. He swayed once as he made his way to Henry with the sheer power of his determination. He didn't hesitate a second before removing the thin piece of fabric that'd helped keep his mouth shut and taking the vial from his mouth. "Henry?" He placed his hand on the child's shoulder and shook lightly, getting a pained moan as a response. He didn't like how warm the boy felt. "Henry, can you hear me?" Trying to control the panic growing inside him, as well as the still throbbing pain, Spencer opened the vial hurriedly and brought it close to the child's lips. He didn't like the idea of giving Henry something from Liam, but it seemed _nothing_ could make the situation worse. "Henry, this may taste bad, but I need you to swallow, okay? This will make you feel better, so you need to swallow."

To his surprise and relief Henry nodded barely visibly. Encouraged by the gesture he poured the substance into the child's mouth and watched how Henry swallowed. As soon as the liquid had gone down Henry's throat the child first moaned again, then started to cry.

Spencer swallowed with mild panic. He'd never been exactly fluent with children. What was he supposed to do?

In the end he chose to follow his instincts. He reached out his arms, then pulled the little boy to his chest. "Shh… It's okay, Henry. Just… Just stop crying, okay? Everything… Everything's gonna be okay." Spencer couldn't help feeling like a hypocrite. How was he supposed to convince the child of that when even he couldn't believe it?

His heart almost broke when Henry's sobs continued, and he couldn't keep himself from stiffening when the child held on to him as tightly as possible, almost touching the wounds on his back. "Mommy… I want mommy."

A stinging sensation took over Spencer's eyes and he had to blink twice. "I know. And I… I'll do whatever I can go make sure you're with her soon, okay? I promise."

Henry nodded. He had no idea how long the sobs continued until the child went limp all of a sudden, startling him. He didn't calm down until he realized that Henry had merely fallen into a exhausted slumber.

It was then Spencer got the chance to really examine their situation, which he did gladly to trick his mind out of the pain pulsating in his back. His eyes locked to what Henry had been using as a pillow. It was a shirt, the same he'd been wearing in the park when Liam came to him.

This time he was sure the voice came through a speaker. "_Unless you want him to see the wounds you took for him, put that on. Trust me, he'll see more than enough soon. After all, we're only just getting started._"

Spencer grit his teeth, then lay Henry carefully back down before pulling the shirt on. As soon as he was done there was a tiny 'click' that sounded deafeningly loud in the tiny room's silence.

Spencer's heart skipped several beats while he moved to shield Henry and held his breath, waiting for whatever was to come. Nothing did.

Not until there was a screech.

Spencer's gaze turned abruptly to discover that a door he hadn't noticed before had opened up on his right.

Spencer hesitated for the longest time, perhaps too long, while trying to decide if he should really take the chance of following Liam's call, especially when he had Henry to look after. But a logical part of his brain reminded him that with staying still he'd never get the two of them out of this mess.

He'd never get Henry back into JJ's arms if he didn't take the chance and move.

That thought finally gave him the push he needed. Slowly and carefully, not wanting to disturb Henry's rest, he picked up the child, wincing when his injuries protested against the additional weight. Although his knees felt alarmingly unstable he pushed himself up and began to move towards the open door, desperately trying not to guess what was behind it.

* * *

><p>Ever since joining the team Ashley had found herself feeling like a outsider looking in to a tight, battered family. They tried to make her feel at home with them, she saw and felt it, but nonetheless all too often she felt like a replacement part of a toy that didn't really fit. All too often she was in all the wrong places. And that surprisingly dark day she walked in on something she shouldn't have while coming back from the hospital. When she walked into the police station and approached the room that'd been given for the team to use, she froze by the doorway.<p>

Aaron and JJ, who were already in the room, didn't notice her. The air was heavy and loaded, dangerous. It felt like even one breath taken the wrong way might crush everything to pieces.

Aaron's voice was low, but she heard all too clearly anyway. "… four snipers, but somehow Liam was faster. By the time the police made it there he'd already taken Reid."

JJ frowned, until her eyes widened as the realization sank in. It was easy to see how all color faded from her face. Her body shuddered while she shook her head vehemently. "No…" Her breathing pattern didn't seem healthy.

Aaron seemed to notice that fact as well, for the man frowned. "You need to calm down. Panicking isn't going to solve anything."

JJ didn't hear, didn't even seem to be attached to the reality at hand. She emitted a sound that shouldn't have come out of a human being and buried her face into both hands. It was fortunate that there was a chair almost right behind her, for Ashley was fairly sure she wouldn't have been able to stand up for another second.

It was the first time Ashley saw Aaron – the team's solid rock, the man who could take _anything_ – on the verge of tears. The unit chief's jaw tightened to a dangerous extend while the man's fists balled and eyes narrowed. "We're going to find him – both of them. We'll get them back."

Ashley couldn't listen anymore, not with the amount of guilt swelling in the pit of her stomach. If she'd told them about the phone call from Liam she and Spencer received…

She turned around and walked away, as though it would've been possible to turn her back on the nightmare. A couple of minutes later she did something she hadn't done since the tender age of fifteen. She bought a package of cigarrettes

On her way out of the store she got a phone call from David. Ryan Ennis was dead.

Ashley consumed half of the cigarrettes before finally managing to gather the courage for going back to the station to deliver the news.

* * *

><p>Spencer had always been afraid of the dark. But as he walked through the pitch black, narrow hallway towards the next part of Liam's plan he was much more terrified of what was waiting for him and Henry once the dark was finally over. He was glad Henry was asleep; he didn't want the little boy to witness any more horrors than his young eyes already had.<p>

The game was only beginning. The next rounds would be far more ugly than the first one.

The light came so suddenly that he emitted a tiny groan and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. It took far too long before he managed to coax his eyes open once more, and even longer before he could actually see.

He was in a tiny, round-shaped room that had wet-looking stone walls and nothing but sand as floor. The stench of gunpowder and something much worse was hanging thickly in the air, screaming warnings at him. But the smell wasn't what his mind focused on first. What truly struck him was the tiny, wooden table with two chairs that'd been dragged in – or rather, what was at and on the table.

At the table sat a uncontrollably shivering figure whose head was covered by a hood of some sort. Judging by bodyshape it looked like the person was a woman. And on the table a gun was waiting to be used.

"_Why don't you put Henry down so I can explain the next round of our game?_" Liam's voice, purring and smoother than silk, suggested through a speaker.

Gritting his teeth painfully tightly Spencer obeyed, unwilling to test what would happen if he'd resist. Besides, it sounded like a good idea to get Henry out of this round's way. He laid the child gently to the floor, then waited, his body so stiff it fidgeted.

"_Very good. Now… About this little game…_" There was a pause that seemed to stretch to all eternity. "_I'm sure you're familiar with Russian roulette. You and my other… guest will get to try that fine game, now. There's only one bullet in that gun. Which one of you it kills, is for fate to decide._"

Cold spread through Spencer. He swallowed convulsively. "Please… Don't make me do this. Don't…"

"_You _will _do it._" Liam was hissing. "_Or I'll press just one button, and that room fills with gas. Then you'd all die._" There was a taunting pause. "_So… __Which one do you choose? How lucky are you feeling today?_"

Spencer swallowed thickly, vomit rising to his throat.

So it wasn't enough that he'd already had Henry dragged into this nightmare. Now another person was in danger because of him.

He'd thought this 'game' couldn't get any worse. He should've known he was wrong.

* * *

><p>Emily didn't know what she'd expected Candy Shop to be like before she actually entered the carefully hidden building by Derek's side. But no imagination could've measured up with reality.<p>

There was no sober person in sight. Drugs were _everywhere_, and no one seemed coherent enough to even notice them. The neon lights, smoke and shadows that lingered all over the place made pinpointing anything impossible.

To them, at least. But it looked like they'd been spotted. "Hey, Mohawk!" a sharp female voice hollered. "We've got visitors."

Out of nowhere a extremely muscular, bald latino man of her age was blocking their path. The man was at least a head's worth taller than Derek, and the piercings all over his face made him appear far from pleasant. Sharp eyes observed them for a moment before there was a sharp groan. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me", the man snorted with a thick accent, then folded his arms in defensive manner. "Look, one of you gumshoes already paid a visit and beat the snot out of one of my boys. If you keep harassing us, you can tell that asshole Hansen that the deal's off."

If they'd had less other interests in mind they might've been a lot more curious about the deal chief Hansen had with this place. As it was they both frowned. Derek was faster with words. "We're with the FBI."

The man – Mohawk, wasn't it? – appeared slightly curious. "Let's say that I've seen one of those badges before. I thought you guys were all about keeping each other's backs."

Emily fixed the man a glare that would've silenced _anyone_. "A description. Now."

Mohawk lifted both hands and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Chill. So, she was no local – the _chica_ sure knew her way with Spanish. Pretty, too, very much so, though too sassy to be my type." The man frowned, thinking. "She was looking for… Reid, something, and Liam." A dry look appeared to the pierced man's face. "We're looking for Liam, too, by the way. The guy has some serious debts on some nasty people. People get killed that way."

Neither of them paid much attention to the final sentences. Emily was surprised, but Derek's reaction went far beyond that. The dark skinned man looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Emily frowned, feeling alarm sneaking in. "Do you know who he's talking about?"

Derek swallowed, still seeming a bit shaken. "Yeah. I do."

* * *

><p>Back in Liam's hellhole Spencer swallowed again, realizing that he was trapped. He closed his eyes and drew in a shuddering breath, then nearly whispered. "Okay."<p>

"_Good. I was already getting tired of waiting around. Now… This game wouldn't be much fun if you didn't see the face of your playmate, would it? Take off the hood. She was very anxious to see you not too long ago._"

The last thing Spencer wanted was to see whose life he was risking, whose blood might end up staining his hands. But then he heard Henry's moan coming from somewhere behind him, and he realized how little choice he had.

His feet felt heavier than any concrete while he forced himself to move forward, and his hand shook when he took a firm hold of the hood. He pulled – and in a matter of moments his furiously beating heart came to a violent stop.

Because he found himself staring directly into the screaming eyes of Elle Greenaway.

* * *

><p>TBC, right…?<p>

* * *

><p>AN: Uh-huh… It looks like things are getting even worse. (winces)

So… How was it – worth the wait, at all? (glances around nervously) **PLEASE**, leave a review to let me know! It'd seriously mean a lot. (gives puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE (in case you want one, of course): Reid has a extremely dramatic encounter with a old friend – and things only go worse from there. The team finally finds a clue towards the right direction, but is it too late? This time Liam is sure to go all the way…

Until next time, folks, witchever story that will be with!

Be good!

* * *

><p><strong>ari<strong>: Liam is the lowest there is, huh? (shudders) And that so-called chief… (hisses)

Let's hope Reid makes it through this mess alive. Because I don't think the team would be able to take losing him for good this time. (winces)

Monumental thank yous for the review!

* * *

><p><strong>vetgirl1231<strong>: Awww, thank you so much! (beams, and blushes)

Let's hope that entire mess ends well, no? Because if Reid would really be lost this time… (shudders)

MASSIVE thank yous for the review – and bunnies (as always they DID help)! (beams and hugs) 'Hope we'll be typing again soon.

ps: You're gonna write a fanfic? COOL! Let me know when you do, I'd love to read it! (grins excitedly)


	6. 21 Guns

A/N: (grins) See, see? I AM capable of regular updates, after all. Hooray?

BUT, before getting to the main point… THANK YOU so much for you amazing reviews! (GLOMPS) They've seriously pushed me forward when I fought with myself over a couple of scenes in this chapter. So thank you!

Awkay. (takes a deep breath) I think it's time to dive into the next piece of this story. Be ready for something a touch more macabre, yeah?

I hope you'll enjoy the ride!

SONG RECOMMENDATION: If you have the chance, listen to '21 Guns' from Green Day while reading this. I think the lyrics fit the story pretty well!

* * *

><p>21 Guns<p>

* * *

><p>Elle Greenaway had spent a long time – years, decades, lifetimes – in a very, very dark place. And then, over a year after the death actually took place, the news crawled to her ears.<p>

Dr. Spencer Reid was dead, killed by someone by the name Liam.

Whoever said the guiding light had to be white, or even bright?

Elle crawled out of her pitch black hole with the determination of a savage animal, only to charge straigth at something much darker. She had her connections. Putting together the pieces that Liam was in New York was only a matter of months – or so she guessed, for keeping track of time hadn't been her strong suit in forever.

But as it turned out Liam heard she was coming. And by the time she'd drifted deep into Candy Shop there was a invitation waiting for her.

She didn't know what Liam kept giving her, after locking her up into that tiny, dark room. But it felt _good_ – it helped her through the days when Liam had no one else to direct his violent outbursts of frustration on. It guided her back towards the _real_ light, to the days when the BAU-team was still her family. To the days when there was still Dr. Spencer Reid.

Until she found herself staring right at the real him.

It took a long time before she actually recognized him. The black hair and blue contact lenses distracted her until she really looked into his wide, horrified eyes. It felt like the bottom had dropped from her world.

Spencer swallowed thickly, falling heavily to the chair on the opposite side of the table. "I… I'm so sorry, Elle… I'm so sorry… I never wanted this, any of this." His mouth moved for a while before sound finally came. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

_You're dead_, was what her mind screamed in return, but for some reason her mouth wouldn't comply.

It was ages from the last time Elle cried. At that very moment she wanted to.

Her mouth opened, but before she managed to speak Liam's voice snatched them back to the situation at hand. "_If one of you doesn't take that gun in five seconds, I'm going to press a button. And then you'll never have to worry about choosing anything anymore. Five…_"

She kept staring at Spencer, her mind screaming a million things all at once. And for a second she smiled.

"_Three…_"

Elle's eyes swept towards the gun. It was a six shooter. They had six chances of living and dying.

"_One…_"

Spencer reached out his hand but she was faster. Terror flashed in the man's eyes when she grit her teeth and brought the gun to her head, furiously trying to ignore how her heart hammered somewhere close to her throat.

She counted to three, and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

She was almost sure her eyes widened when she looked at Spencer. There was naked terror in his eyes, but she had a strong feeling that it wasn't for himself.

He swallowed thickly and attempted to offer her a smile. "Well… I guess it's my turn, huh?"

If she could've, she would've done anything to spare him from having to do this. But there was a child involved – she couldn't take that chance, not yet. And so she watched, with her heart hammering worse then ever before, while Spencer took the gun and placed it firmly to his head. Elle had to grit her teeth to keep herself from yelling when he pulled the trigger.

The only thing she heard was the rush of her blood.

Spencer gasped once, clearly having held his breath, then looked at her with steadily widening eyes. He didn't need to speak for her to know what was going through his head.

Two shots had already been empty. The statistics were starting to work against them.

Absolutely all warmth disappeared from Elle's body, but she struggled to keep her face even while her fingers brushed the weapon's cool metal surface and she squeezed, so hard her knuckles turned white. It was odd, really, that the same metal seemed to burn her skin when she fixed it on her tempel.

The last thing she saw before closing her eyes were the unshed tears in Spencer's eyes. She wondered, while pulling the trigger, if he noticed them as well.

* * *

><p>Guilt is nasty companion. And no matter how hard Ashley wrestled with hers, in the end it was gnawing her insides so hard that she wanted to scream out. Such didn't go unnoticed by a group of profilers, not even with the shock over Elle Greenaway re-emerging. Once Derek and Emily had been sent to the address where Elle had been supposedly staying and David had offered to give a visibly exhausted JJ a ride to the hotel, Aaron called Ashley to one of the police station's offices.<p>

As usual Aaron wasted no time before getting to the point. "Something's been bothering you since we came to New York. What is it?"

At first Ashley thought about laughing the matter down, even pulling the 'I thought we weren't supposed to profile each other' –card. But then she came to a conclusion that she'd already done enough hiding and lying. She couldn't make another bad decision or she wouldn't be able to live with herself.

Ashley bit her teeth together as tightly as she could, then let the words flow although they tasted bitter in her mouth. "Liam… He managed to contact Reid through me, before we headed to New York." It was getting hard to breathe when the weight of the confession settled to her shoulders. She focused on Aaron's eyes even thought disbelief and disenchantment were making them even sharper than usual. "Liam… threatened my mother. He… He said someone would be sent after her if I didn't let him talk to Reid." She swallowed but it didn't erase the foul taste. "I… I don't know what they were talking about, but… Liam may have given him instructions, back then."

The silence was absolute, deafening.

That was the worst bit. Suddenly Ashley wished Derek had been there, because she needed someone to yell at her. She needed someone to scream at her so the bad blood flowing through her could escape through the cuts.

But Aaron didn't give her such relief. Disappointment was loudly visible in the unit chief's eyes when the man took his cell phone and dialed numbers. "Garcia, I need you to go through Seaver's received phone calls. There should be one just before we headed to New York."

Standing there right under his loudly speaking eyes Ashley wanted to leave, to run away from the situation. But this time she remained firm – she'd already done enough being a coward.

She remained still, watching how Aaron wrote down an address and _prayed_ from the depths of her soul that it wasn't already too late to undo the damage she'd caused.

* * *

><p>Once Elle pulled the trigger there was silence, and darkness – a bottomless pit of black that seemed to swallow her up far more hungrily than any waves.<p>

And then she opened her eyes, like it'd been the simplest thing in the world.

She opened her eyes, to see that a single tear was making its way down Spencer's cheek. The man wasn't breathing while shivering violently. Then, with a shuddering exhale that sounded deafeningly loud, time resumed. Spencer's lips formed words, but she couldn't distinguish them. Perhaps she didn't even want to.

Because it was Spencer's turn to take a hold of the metal. And the statistics were turning quite rapidly against him.

Perhaps she was a coward, after all. Because she couldn't keep her eyes open.

She listened how Spencer swallowed and breathed hard, loudly, for what seemed to take a small eternity. And then… there was nothing, absolutely nothing.

Until that one, chilling 'click' that seemed to be the loudest sound she'd ever heard.

She tasted blood when her teeth accidentally bit down to her tongue, and it felt like a fist had squeezed around her chest. The agony lasted for only a microsecond, though. Because there was no other sound. Nothing but a gasp that reminded her of a drowning man.

Finally she opened her eyes to see that the weapon was on the table before Spencer. The genius' eyes had gained a unreadable, somewhat clouded look while he stared at the item. He refused to meet her eyes. For they both knew the game wasn't over yet.

Although she'd never been a huge fan of physical contact Elle fought the urge to squeeze one of Spencer's shaking hands while she took the gun, feeling strangely calm and lucid. Perhaps she'd fallen into a state of shock – this was exactly what she'd experienced a couple of seconds after being shot, a lifetime ago.

The gun didn't feel strange in her hands anymore when she tightened her hold, coming to her decision. For a moment her eyes flickered to the little child who was still sleeping in the room's far corner, and she was even more sure.

"Do me a favor, will you?" Her voice sounded strange, and she tried furiously to remember the last time she used it. It seemed to be decades ago. She licked her lips and swallowed, finding no comfort. "Take care of that kid. He needs you."

The trigger was pulled before she even realized what was happening.

The gun didn't speak. Neither did Spencer.

"Promise me. Because…" Her jaw tightened, to such extend she was worried she'd irritate even the bone. "Because this… is the one damn thing I'm going to do right in my life."

Spencer's eyes widened. And for a moment she was face to face with the man she'd met once upon a time, when they had their first day of work together. "Elle, don't…!"

But her finger had made its decision. The sixth pull was, strangely enough, much easier than the former ones. The fear from before was gone.

Whoever said the last time is always the hardest? Because it wasn't.

There was silence, such that wrapped around her like a blanket, and for a fleeting second she wondered if she'd gone deaf. There was no pain, either – there was… nothing.

It took exactly eight seconds before she realized that there'd been no gunshot.

Liam's laughter chilled her to spine. "_Did you really think that I'd risk giving you two a loaded gun? No – I've been planning this too long to fall for such a simple solution._"

Elle grit her teeth loudly, didn't dare to look at Spencer. Because they both knew what was to come. "What the fuck do you want from us?"

"_Patience has never been your greatest virtue, has it? But that's quite alright – it's not one of mine, either._" The pause was torturously long. She could've sworn she heard a strange clicking sound in the background. "_Now that this introduction round is over, it's time to move towards something more… manual. Tell me, you two… Did they teach you in school how many bones there are in a human body?_"

* * *

><p>David had never been all that talented when it came to handling silence. That's why he almost fidgeted while driving towards the hotel with JJ sitting on the seat beside him, as stiff and silent as a statue.<p>

It wasn't until they stopped to a red light she finally whispered, so quietly that he barely heard. "I thought I saw Henry, today." He didn't look towards her, but heard the tears in her eyes. "There was this boy, who looked just like him, and I thought…" She fell silent once more and wiped her eyes with hard, loud motions.

"He'll be okay – he's tough, just like his mom." David fought to sound at least remotely convincing. He shook other thoughts aside for a moment when the light turned green. "Besides… He's not alone. Reid's going to do whatever he can to protect him."

Apparently he'd succeeded in choosing the wrong words, because JJ's eyes darkened even further. "That's the other thing I'm worried about", she murmured.

David kicked himself mentally before something caught his attention as they reached the hotel. There was a very familiar man standing before the main entrance, pacing restlessly. Will was visibly exhausted to the core, but at least he was there.

JJ's expression radiated so many emotions that it was impossible to name them all when she first stared at the father of her child, then bolted out of the vehicle. A sigh slipped through David's lips while the couple got lost into a embrace, and he rubbed his tired face with one hand.

He could only hope, and pray, that there'd be a happy ending to this entire nightmare.

He looked towards the couple once more, saw the tears streaming down JJ's face.

Because there was way, way too much to lose.

* * *

><p>Spencer felt cold. Very, <em>very<em> cold.

"_This time _I'm_ not going to do a thing. This round it's all up to you to decide. That's only fair, don't you think?_" Liam was almost purring, and the tone made Spencer shiver. "_I've always found the freedom of choice to be a fascinating concept._"

Elle's left eyebrow twitched. "Just cut the crap already."

"_Ah, that temper of yours… You must've ended up into so much trouble because of it._" Liam clicked his tongue and kept taunting them for a couple of more seconds before responding. "_You, dear Elle… You've hurt people before – don't try to deny it, because I know. This time I want you to put your hands on Cody._"

Elle frowned, momentarily confused, before their eyes met and she understood with just one look. The woman's eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to hurt him!"

"_Would you rather have me kill the three of you? The choice is yours, of course. But take a look at that child behind you. Is he really someone you'd want to sacrifice? Think carefully._" Elle grit her teeth, her entire posture stiffening. Liam went on. "_That's what I thought. Now… Like I said, the choice is in your hands – or perhaps in Cody's. I remember how easily you always seemed to break in Uncle John's care. I'm curious to see if you've grown any tougher over the years. I want you to choose five bones. And please, no fingers or toes – that's plain boring, and won't get us anywhere. That beautiful playmate of yours will be the one to break them._"

There was a storm in Elle's eyes. "I won't hurt him, do you hear me? I won't…!"

Finally Spencer found his voice. "Elle, it's okay." He grit his teeth together as tightly as he could, struggling to maintain as much composure as possible when she looked at him. "Just do it. Start with ribs." His ears were buzzing and halfway deafened by the rush of his blood, so it was difficult to tell what his voice sounded like. "Please. Do it."

As subtly as he could he let his eyes flicker towards Henry, and Elle soon followed the gesture. Understanding flashed in her dark eyes, among with several other things he couldn't name. Her fists balled while she lifted her chin just a little bit.

"This is going to take down two out of five, you sick fuck", she snarled at Liam, visibly steeling herself.

Spencer tried to steel himself as well. Of course he should've known it was impossible.

The kick was fast and hard, and even without the mind numbing surge of pain the sickening crack that came would've announced that something was broken.

In an instant Spencer was down, the agony sweeping him off his feet. He didn't scream, didn't think he even could've when it felt like there was no air left in his lungs. Instead he emitted a tiny whimper and clenched his eyes tightly shut, instinctively curling up into himself when the pain kept pulsating everywhere.

"Reid." Elle's hiss pulled him harshly back to the present, and he managed to force his eyes slightly open. There was fear swimming in her eyes. "Are you still with me?"

He swallowed, trying to hold down a burst of nausea while the ache kept spinning around inside him. It was getting hard to focus, which worried him. "My wrist…", he managed. He went on once seeing Elle's stunned expression. "Break that next. Okay?"

Liam chuckled, audibly amused and something else he didn't want to identify. "_Well, well, well. Aren't you a brave little soldier? You heard him, darling. Get the job done before this little game gets boring for me._"

Elle swallowed, appearing nauseous. "I'm sorry", she whispered so that there was no way Liam could've heard. "I'm so sorry."

Spencer nodded and tried to make his expression reassuring. He had a feeling he failed rather miserably.

Elle kneeled to the floor beside him and took his left wrist into a almost tender hold. She looked pointedly away from his face as she began to twist. And then she made a swift, harsh motion that easily made the bones give in.

Spencer emitted a strange, barely human sound that came from the back of his throat, pleased that he was already down when the pain came swimming in. His whole body was _burning_ as he pulled the injured limb to his chest, barely daring to breathe in fear of it turning into a scream.

Elle didn't speak, most likely couldn't. Spencer didn't open his eyes, unwilling to see the guilt and sadness on her face.

He'd dragged her into this. It was his fault, that she had to do this. His fault that…

"Left clavicle." That sound… Did it come from him? He focused on breathing for a moment, tried to hold down a new burst of nausea. "That one, next."

Elle… Was she crying? "God damnit, Reid…!"

She hesitated this time, which was why she had to try twice before she actually succeeded. Spencer didn't know how worried he should've been by the fact that he couldn't feel a lot of pain. Was he going into a state of shock?

He may have drifted off for a while, because when he finally registered Elle's voice it sounded like she'd been calling out to him for a long time. "… id, open your eyes and look at me!" He obeyed although it was well among the last things he wanted to do. It took a while before Elle's face came to focus. She appeared even paler than before. "That's right. Stay with me, okay?"

Spencer tried to smile. "I'm fine", he managed.

Elle snorted and actually seemed to come close to smiling. "Yeah. Sure you are, tough guy."

"_I know you two are trying to get comfortable, but I'm afraid we're not done with this round of the game just yet. One… more… bone. Remember? Make your choice, Cody. And be sure to make it entertaining._"

Spencer swallowed convulsively when vomit rose to his throat, and the former wounds on his back screamed protests when his back arched under a surge of pain. His mind wasn't working right anymore, and his eyelids felt impossibly heavy. "Nose." He sounded sleepy, or perhaps drunk. His eyes fluttered closed, but for a little while longer he managed to fight off the fog. "My nose. That's the last one."

Elle's lips opened, even moved, but no sound came. Not that it would've been necessary – Spencer heard the words anyway.

All it took for the bone to give in was a single punch. Pain shot through Spencer while blood began to meander down his face.

It was the one crack it took.

Spencer had fought remarkably long, endured the pain and nausea. But at that moment his body just couldn't take it anymore.

The last thing he heard before sinking into a world of black was Elle calling out his name.

* * *

><p>There was a thick, not quite pleasant scent hanging in the scruffy motel room where Elle had been staying when Emily and Derek walked in, let in by the place's far from pleasant owner. Curtains had been pulled to cover the room's only window so shadows were dancing everywhere, and dust had taken over the floors that most likely hadn't been cleaned up in a long time. It would've seemed no one had ever lived in the room if it wasn't for the few items.<p>

There were no clothes, which struck both profilers as odd. Several opened and completely or halfway empty bottles of strong alcohol seemed to be everywhere, as were cigarette butts. What got to them the most, however, were the pieces of paper and notepads that covered almost all of the room's walls.

Notes, mostly on Liam. It was clear that Elle had been chasing down the monster for a very long time, from even the darkest of shadows.

What Emily's eyes became glued on, however, was there in the middle of everything. It was a piece of paper cut from a newspaper. A notice of Spencer's death.

"Shit…" It took a moment before she realized that the sound came from Derek's. His voice carried a clear edge of sadness and disappointment. "I just… I can't believe she's fallen this low. I can't believe someone like her…" He trailed off.

Emily bit back a sigh, letting her gaze wander. "She must've been tracking down Liam for a long time. He became her obsession."

Derek nudded numbly. It was easy to tell that his mind was entirely elsewhere. "Yeah."

Coming to a conclusion that Derek wasn't quite functional just yet Emily continued the search, heading towards a wooden box that'd been almost hidden under the bed. She opened it and couldn't hold back a sigh.

Several vials, and a needle. A needle prepared for gigantic dosages – Elle must've been using for a long time.

In a few moments, however, her eyes spotted something else. A piece of paper, right under one of the vials. She frowned and picked up the note. Her eyes widened while taking in the words.

There was Liam's name, along with an address.

"Morgan", she called out. She gave him the note, careful to hide the box and its contents from him. "It looks like we've got something here."

Derek's eyes flashed with what looked dangerously lot like a fool's hope. "We've gotta call Hotch."

* * *

><p>Spencer woke up slowly and with lot of difficulties. In an instant two overpowering things took a hold of him. Agony, such that was <em>everywhere<em>. And nausea.

Instinctively he curled to the side that hadn't been damaged, and did the one thing he'd been itching to do long before he passed out. He threw up – which turned out to be a horrible idea, because his broken ribs certainly didn't appreciate the additional abuse.

The new wave of pain made his head spin, and for a moment he was sure he'd collapse again.

That was until he felt a hand rubbing soothing circles to his back. Usually such unexpected physical contact would've bothered him but in his current condition he just couldn't bring himself to care. "Reid?" Elle's voice sounded slightly jumbled to his ears. "Reid, I'm going to help you sit up, okay? So brace yourself."

He struggled until he managed to get his eyes halfway open. Slowly yet surely Elle's face came to focus. A frown crossed his features when he took in her appearance.

She looked utterly drained, and sickly pale. There were thick shadows around her eyes. Her hair had been cut extremely short, and looked she hadn't washed them in at least a week. Most of the shine had left both her hair and eyes. Her body still looked strong, but he could tell she'd lost a lot of weight since they'd last met.

"What happened to you?" he murmured.

"Spencer." Some fire appeared to her eyes when she pressed her cool hands to both sides of his face. "Focus, okay? Focus. You're gonna sit up now, and it's gonna hurt. So focus, and breathe. Don't zone out on me again."

Spencer nodded, furiously trying to gather his spinning thoughts back together. And then his body was moving, faster than he would've been fully prepared for it. A moan slipped through his lips when searing pain exploded through his entire body.

"Hey, Reid! Keep your eyes open. The kid needs you to stay awake."

That certainly did the trick. It wasn't easy, but this time he managed to open his eyes all the way. His vision swayed for a moment until he managed to shift his gaze, so that he saw Henry in one of the tiny, cell-like room's corners. The little boy seemed to be sleeping.

"He woke up for a bit a while ago, and freaked out when he couldn't wake you up", Elle explained. Her tone was a lot softer than before. "I told him you're tired and need sleep, and ordered him to sleep as well. His fever seems to be coming down."

Spencer nodded, feeling a wave of relief. So the antidote must've been working.

"He's Henry, right?" Elle inquired all of a sudden, appearing thoughtful. Seeing his nod and look of confusion she went on. "Garcia's… been keeping me updated on everything that's going on with the team. I think she would've wanted me to contact her back, or something, but…" She trailed off and shrugged, not quite looking at him. "Life can be shitty, sometimes."

Spencer observed her face, took in the shadows of memories dancing there. He would've wanted to ask a million questions, but this wasn't the time and place. So he looked around instead, unable to find anything but black walls. He coughed, and winced when feeling a tug of pain that seemed discouraging. "We have to get out of here."

Elle's jaw tightened. "I know. But it looks like we're gonna have to wait for Liam before we can try anything."

Spencer grit his teeth, leaning heavily against the wall behind him. His lips opened, but before he got the chance to voice any of the things buzzing in his head the room's small metallic door opened and Liam entered. Cold spread into Spencer's veins.

Liam… had changed. Not just the hair, which now carried a striking shade of blond. But those eyes… It looked like there was no soul behind them anymore. That thought only grew stronger when Liam smiled at him. "So you finally decided to join us. Good. Because I have a proposition you may find worth considering."

Spencer frowned, feeling even colder than before. "A proposition?"

Liam nodded. "I'm feeling generous today. So here's my suggestion…" The man's eyes flew towards Elle. "I'm letting this pitiful little thing here go, without any intention of going after her. On one condition." Liam revealed a needle that was full of liquid, along with a vial that looked much too familiar. "Inject this into her, and she's allowed to go. If you don't…" The man looked towards Henry. "… I may just have another target in mind."

Spencer's heart came to a stop for a couple of seconds, and all saliva disappeared from his mouth. This couldn't be happening.

Liam couldn't be telling him to inject Dilaudid into Elle. And the dosage… It was huge, possibly too much.

Liam rolled his eyes at his hesitation. "Oh, don't look so disheartened. This is a monster you're both more than familiar with. Why should this be so horrifying all of a sudden?" The man glanced at the items in his hands. "It's just a needle, Cody."

"Just do it." Elle's voice quivered ever so slightly when adrenaline took over. Her eyes looked too bright, feverish, in the dark. "You have to. Maybe then there's hope."

They looked at each other, all too familiar with brutal facts. It was highly unlikely that anyone would believe Elle if she'd try to tell them what was going on, especially if she was stoned to a point of near-overdose. And by the time they might… it could be too late. It was also possible that Elle wouldn't be able to get any help to Liam's hellhole. But it was also their only hope.

Injecting someone with the substance that'd become his curse was the last thing Spencer wanted to do, but as it was the choice wasn't in his hands.

Liam saw the answer in his eyes and smiled. "You're certainly catching up with the game fast, Cody. I'm pleased." Moving swiftly and roughly the man made his way to Elle, then prepared her arm. Liam grinned when noticing a good vein. "Ah, see, now that's good. It looks like this is going to be a child's play." And then the needle was handed towards Spencer with a gesture that left no room for arguments. "Now do it, before I have to step up."

Spencer's hand shook, even worse than it did _back then_, and only Liam's presence kept the tears forming behind his eyes from showing. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't meet Elle's eyes. "I… I'm so sorry, about all this. I'm sorry."

Elle placed her hand on top of his, wordlessly guiding him on. And somehow that was the best reassurance she could've given him.

His whole body becoming taken over by tremors Spencer let his hand fall downwards, felt how the needle pierced skin. He closed his eyes when finding the vein. He never noticed the couple of tears that rolled down his cheeks when he brought the piston down.

/ _"I say student. You need self-confidence to lecture in front of a classroom full of 30 college kids. Arsonists are socially incompetent. This guy doesn't go on dates, doesn't go to parties, doesn't feel comfortable in front of groups. And of course he's a total psychopath."_ /

_I'm sorry._

/ _"Reid, I don't know how you know half the stuff you know, but I'm glad you do."_ /

_I'm sorry._

/ _"Reid, do not ever go away again!"_ /

_I'm sorry._

/ _"Um, Reid? You probably saved my life in there."_ /

_I'm so sorry!_

* * *

><p>During usual days Dr. Felicity Mannick – a woman in her early forties with ginger hair and dark brown eyes – dared to say she loved her job in one of the busiest ER's in New York. The hectic pace, unexpected twists and turns… She couldn't imagine anything better. But then there were days that made her question if she was insane due to her choice of career.<p>

This one turned out to be one of them.

"What do we have here?" she inquired while bursting in through the ER's doors, desperately trying to rub sleep from her eyes.

"A Jane Doe, appears to be in her late thirties", nurse Skipper Jamison – a petite woman with bushy blonde hair and huge blue eyes – announced in a clipped tone. "A extremely severe case of overdose, we don't know with what yet. Heavily unconscious. Pinpoint pupils, pressure's 78/48 and dropping. She seems to be having a lot of difficulties with breathing."

Felicity nodded, holding back a groan while taking a glance towards the brown-haired woman who lay before her. She ran into far too many cases like this every day, so the list came easily. "You know how this goes", she began. "Put her on oxygen and IV, arrenge a gastric lavage. I'll get the medication started as soon as possible."

"Oh man…", one of the nurses – a young hispanic man she remembered faintly as Marco – hissed when moving the blanket that'd been covering the patient, staring at the brunet's stomach and chest. "Hey, doc, this… doesn't look too good."

Felicity frowned, also looking towards that direction to discover a chilling sight. The patient's almost entire chest and stomach were covered in blood.

Felicity's eyes, no matter how much they'd seen, widened slightly. "Christ…" She shifted the woman's dark green shirt cautiously, almost fearfully – only to discover that there was no wound, no damage whatsoever.

Felicity's insides turned cold when her gaze traveled slowly to the unconscious, stoned woman's face.

If it wasn't her blood… then whose? What the hell had happened to this woman?

* * *

><p>TBC, no?<p>

* * *

><p>AN: And the heat seems to be only rising. (sweatdrops)

Awkay, people, it's official! **I have the structure planned out for the rest of the story ready in my head.** Which means that the updates will come faster in the future – if you want such, of course. If you do there's four chapters and an epilogue left of this thing.

**Please, **leave a note to let me hear you out! It'd seriously make my day. (gives puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE: The team has two possible locations for Reid and Henry, but is either one of them the correct one? Time is running out rapidly as Liam moves to the next part of his plan. If the team ever finds Reid, how much of him will there be left once Liam is done…?

Until next time, folks, with whichever story that will be!

Take care!

* * *

><p><strong>cmsp<strong>: I'm a mind reader. (chuckles)

I'm so happy to hear that you've been thinking about this story. And I REALLY hope you'll keep enjoying the ride!

Massive thank yous for the review!

* * *

><p><strong>ari<strong>: Things are looking really, REALLY ugly right now, eh? (winces) Let's hope both he and Henry make it through this hell alive and at least remotely in one piece. (crosses fingers)

Colossal thank yous for the review! I really hope you'll enjoy the ride.


	7. The Scarlet Letter

A/N: SURPRISE! For once, a super fast update. (beams) (Not that I'd owe you guys anything less after the previous cliffie…)

BUT, first of all… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart! (GLOMPS, and beams) I was extremely happy to discover that there were more of them than for the previous two chapters. Keep that up, and you'll get the next chapter in a few days. (chuckles, and hugs again) THANK YOU!

Awkay… (takes a deep breath) Let's hit it, then. I REALLY hope you'll enjoy the ride!

Just, a word of warning, though… Be prepared for some nasty bumps on the road.

* * *

><p>The Scarlet Letter<p>

* * *

><p>After <em>nothing<em>, the team suddenly had two addresses in their hands; one from Elle's motel room, and one the origin of which Aaron refused to reveal. It didn't take them long to come to a decision that splitting up was the best solution. And no matter how hard they tried to talk her out of it even JJ joined in. Her son and Spencer were at stake. There was no way in hell she'd watch from the sidelines.

JJ's heart thumped in her throat while she approached the address Aaron had given them with David and Emily firmly at her side.

The house that probably, once upon a time, was white was now closer to the shade of gray, and had this atmosphere of threat around it that told anyone approaching it to go away. Could Henry and Spencer really be there, inside those walls?

She couldn't feel either one of them in that chilling place. And that worried her.

She forced herself out of those thoughts when David stopped and gestured with his hand, a stone hard look on his face. She and Emily nodded. With that agreement they sneaked into the house, alarmed to discover that the door was unlocked.

There was barely any light in the dark, endlessly long hallways as they walked on with extreme caution, their guns ready in their hands. It didn't take long before they found stairs that led downwards, towards pitch black depths that seemed to hold in a basement. The three of them exchanged looks before starting to climb down the stairs, constantly keeping an eye on any possible traps. It seemed to take forever before they finally reached a stone made floor. And that's when they saw it, despite all the darkness.

There was dried blood that seemed to cover almost all of the floor. While JJ's eyes locked to the chilling, reddish black pool David and Emily moved forward. A couple of seconds – or was it years? – later Emily gasped while David hissed out a barely audible "Christ…".

Alarmed by their reactions JJ frowned and moved until Emily stood in front of her, blocking her line of vision towards the sight behind the brunet. Emily's eyes… Did they have tears in them? "JJ, don't. You don't want to see this."

A spark of terror lighting up inside her JJ pushed the other woman out of the way to see what had been hidden from her. A flash later her blood ran cold, and her knees were struck so weak that she almost fell down.

David had kneeled to the floor, one hand brought to his lips while his eyes remained rooted to what was right in front of him. There were two naked corpses – of a child, a little boy, and of a man. Their faces had been smashed to a point where recognition was impossible and they'd been shaved bald. But the body structures, the child's approximate age and skin tone… Everything matched.

At that moment JJ's knees finally gave way. A low, animalistic cry of pain erupted from the back of her throat as she stumbled to the floor. In an instant tears of such grief she could've never imagined and rage filled her eyes. The pain that exploded inside her was so hard that she feared it'd _crush_ her right there and then. She could barely breathe.

Too late. They'd been too fucking late. They'd been…

She jumped slightly when a hand was laid to her shoulder. "JJ, I… I'm so sorry." There were tears in Emily's voice.

JJ barely heard, much less managed to respond. Because just then her tear-filled, desperate eyes spotted something on the little boy's corpse.

The scar… Where was it?

She began to shake her head while hope sped through her like a river of lava. The tears kept rolling down her cheeks, but this time they had a different taste. "Henry… That's not Henry – can't be. That's… That's not my son."

Emily frowned, a spark appearing to the brunet's eyes. "What do you mean?"

JJ swallowed, only then becoming aware of the vomit in her mouth. "When… When Henry was three, he fell and hurt his knee. There… There should be a scar, right there. But there isn't."

Hope filled the entire basement with a breathtaking force. After a couple of stunned seconds David began to examine the man's body. JJ started to cry even harder when the three of them came to the same soundless conclusion.

There should've been a scar on Spencer's leg from when he was shot. There wasn't.

Emily was the first one of them to find her voice. The two others didn't notice how the brunet wiped her eyes swiftly. "I'm calling the forensics."

At that moment JJ couldn't take it anymore. She pushed herself to her feet much faster than her head would've liked and dashed away before Emily or David could utter a sound. As soon as she made it out of the house she threw up loudly.

* * *

><p>Henry had never been so scared in his entire life.<p>

He hadn't really known what was happening at first, when he woke up. But soon he noticed that the nice lady who'd helped him – he was pretty sure her name was Elle – was gone. And so was the man she'd called Spencer. He didn't know how long he stayed in that tiny, dark room – shaking from fear – until Liam appeared and took him to a small room that had two beds and a closet. It took only a moment before he realized that Spencer was also there. At first he was excited, until he noticed the bandage wrapped around the man's neck. His eyes widened and his entire body became heavy with terror when he noticed all the blood on the fabric.

He stood there for a moment until Spencer – who'd been sitting on a bed with his forehead almost pressed to his knees – noticed his presence. Henry was even more scrared when he noticed the flash on startle in the man's eyes. "Henry…"

He swallowed, fighting between the urges of rushing over to the man and taking a step backwards. He remained rooted to the spot, trembling. "Liam hurt you", he whispered, unsure why he couldn't make his voice any louder.

Instantly Spencer tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach the man's eyes. "Hey, it's okay, I… I'll be fine. Okay? I'm just fine."

Henry stared at the man, his eyes refusing to budge from the neck-injury. At that moment he couldn't hold it back anymore. Tears streamed down his cheeks, one by one. For some ridiculous reason it made him feel humiliated, and he found himself crying even harder.

The guilt intensified when he noticed similar in Spencer's eyes. Although it seemed to require effort the man pushed himself off the bed, to a kneeling position, and held out one arm. "Shh, it's okay. Come here."

Henry didn't hesitate another second. His petite feet were quick to carry him to the man, and he welcomed the sense of comfort the embrace Spencer gave him brought. He nuzzled his head against the man's chest until the tears had ran out.

It took a while before Spencer spoke in what wasn't much more than a whisper. "I've… never really introduced myself, have I?" There was a small pause while the man pushed him so that they were eye to eye. "I'm Spencer Reid, your goddaddy. You were very little when we… last met, so you probably don't remember me. But I'm here to help you out."

No, Henry didn't really remember that man. But he did remember what his mommy and daddy had talked about when they thought he wouldn't hear. He frowned, confusion filling his head. "But… Mommy said you…" He swallowed the last word down loudly and folded his arms. It was a bad word, a sad word, that always made people cry. He didn't want any more sad thoughts. "She cried, a lot. She misses you."

There was still sadness on Spencer's face, but at least the man smiled slightly. "I've missed her, too. But guess what? I bet that right now, she misses you a thousand times more." It was fortunate that he couldn't read what appeared to the man's eyes just then. "And that's why I'm going to make sure you'll get to go back home soon. Everything's going to be okay."

For a moment or two Henry looked at the other man's eyes, far too young to understand even half of what he was seeing. Little by little hope began to spark inside him. His mommy always called Spencer her own personal guardian angel – maybe the man would be his, too, for a little while. Maybe everything was going to be okay, now.

Little by little a smile appeared to his face.

That was until steps began to approach the room.

Henry's eyes widened with terror that seemed to fill all of him, and he squeezed Spencer's shirt with all his might. "Uncle Spence…!" he breathed out, his throat constricting.

Spencer's eyes were hard and serious when the man looked at him. "Go to the closet and stay there, no matter what. Stay there until I tell you to come out, okay?"

Henry frowned, his heart beating so fast it hurt. "What about you?"

Once more Spencer tried to smile. "I'll be okay. So go to the closet and stay there. Everything's gonna be just fine." Just then Liam was behind the room's door. Spencer's eyes flashed with the same thing he saw in his mommy's eyes when he fell down a long time ago and hurt his knee. "Now go."

Henry wished he'd been braver, but before he knew what was happening he ran.

The last thing Henry saw before closing the closet's door was how Spencer straightened his form with a wince of pain, prepared to face whatever was coming into the room.

In an instant the fear from before was back.

* * *

><p>In the meantime Ashley's heart was working on its very limits as she approached a quite worn, pale green house that located in the middle of nowhere. She knew, with bitter certainty, why Aaron had told her to come with the unit chief to the address Derek and Emily had found from Elle's motel room. Aaron didn't trust her – in his book she'd messed up in the worst possible way. She was just relieved the man hadn't told Derek, who was also with them, what she'd revealed back at the station. Now wasn't the time for the confrontation that revelation would've caused.<p>

They had other, much more urgent matters at hand.

She was just about to walk in through the door when Aaron stopped her with a firm arm. The man's eyes looked even darker than usual when he pointed downwards. Following the gestured direction Ashley saw a barely visible wire. A trap.

Ashley swore inwardly at herself.

Another screw up. Another bad mark in Aaron's book.

Carefully keeping an eye on other traps the three of them entered, scanning through the house. So far all they could see on the wooden floors and walls was dust and shadows. And footprints, so big that they were most likely man's. Someone had been in the house at some point.

Aaron gestured with his hand, signaling that Derek would investigate the other half of the house while he'd take care of the other with Ashley. Ashley wasn't surprised. It made sense that Aaron wanted her close to keep an eye on her.

They went through a room after another, only to find furniture that looked like they hadn't been touched in ages. The only sounds they caught were the floorboards that complained under their feet. Shadows danced angrily around them as they advanced, eventually coming back to the long, chilling hallway where they'd first been. For some reason Ashley's eyes locked to one of the paintings on the wall.

A blue bird with red eyes, sitting alone in the dark. It made shivers go down her spine.

Her attention shifted at the sounds of steps, and she discovered Derek coming back to the room. There was a stiff look of anger, worry and frustration on the dark skinned man's face. "Nothing", Derek spat out.

Aaron nodded, only the slight additional stiffness on his posture revealing the storm inside. "Liam may have been here at some point, but right now there isn't a trace of him."

Looking at the clearly distraught men Ashley opened her mouth, feeling the need to say something – anything – to comfort them. But before she got the chance to voice a thing Aaron's cell phone came to life. The man picked up and listened with a frown, every once in a while throwing a one-worded line in return. When the phone call was over the man looked at them with unreadable eyes. "We should go the the hospital."

Derek tensed up instantly and swallowed loudly. "Is it Reid and Henry?"

Aaron shook his head, seeming almost stunned. "Elle Greenaway's in there. We should get there, fast."

* * *

><p>For several stilled, silent moments Spencer stared at Liam's naked body, starting to tremble when realization coursed through him. He wanted to throw up when distant, horrible memories mixed with flashes of what was to come.<p>

He shook his head, instinctively taking a step backwards. "No", he manged and swallowed convulsively. "I won't let you…" He trailed off, unable to force out the rest.

Liam's eyes flashed. "The thing is, one of you two is going to get it – either it's you, or that brat you just hid into a closet. Which one do you choose?"

Utter coldness filled Spencer's body, and his lungs shrunk to a point where they were barely functional while the gravity of the situation crashed down on him. He froze to the spot, feeling even more sick to his stomach than he did before.

Liam gave him a wicked grin. "That's what I thought. Now take off your clothes, or would you like me to do it?"

Spencer hesitated for a couple of seconds, until he came to a bitter realization that there was no other choice. Pointedly keeping his eyes away from Liam's face he undressed with unsteady hands, trying to hold back a wince when his injuries moaned against his motions.

He still didn't look towards Liam when he was done but he felt the man's eyes on him, everywhere on him. "Good, good." The man's voice had changed, become barely recognizable. "Now lay down so we can get started."

For a moment Spencer struggled when his stomach flipped upside down, but then he was in control over his body once more. He was trembling pitiably while he settled to the bed, his heart hammering and his blood rushing madly while he waited for what was to come.

After a small eternity the bed dipped, and not much later Liam was hovering above him, so close that he felt the man's warm breath. "Just relax, Cody…", Liam instructed in that same, strange tone of voice he'd heard before. The man's lips were so close to his that for a sickening moment he was sure there'd be a kiss. Instead, however, Liam grinned wickedly and bit his neck lightly, making him twitch instinctively. "Just relax, and this'll be much easier on both of us."

Spencer's heart thumped mercilessly while Liam's hands advanced on his naked skin. A strange, chirping sound erupted from Liam's throat when the man suddenly lowered his mouth to the tender skin of Spencer's hip and bit down, _hard_. It took absolutely all Spencer had not to cry out of startle and pain when Liam's teeth sunk even deeper, drawing blood and causing a wound that'd definitely leave a scar.

Noticing the way his body shook Liam looked up with a grin that chilled him. There was blood on the man's teeth and lips. "I _always_ mark what I'm about to claim, Cody", the man purred, licking his lips and visible savoring the taste of blood. "You're mine to take, now."

Spencer barely dared to breathe, afraid of how hard he'd scream if he'd give himself the chance to. Instead he squeezed his eyes tightly shut, unwilling to see what Liam was doing when the man advanced.

Liam's mouth and hands crawled down, down, down – until they found his most private parts. A wave of nausea flowed through Spencer when he _felt_ Liam's rapidly rising excitement while the man eximined _everything_ with his lips, tongue and fingertips. It felt almost like the man had been playing around.

That was until 'playing around' was no longer enough. After what felt like several lifetimes Liam's patience ran out and the man turned him forcefully to lay on his stomach. No matter how hard he fought it Spencer couldn't keep himself from crying out a little when his wounds and broken bones screamed at the violent contact. The agony almost swept him under until Liam grabbed his hair and lifted his head until he felt like choking. "You're not passing out before I give you the permission to", Liam hissed at his ear like a furious wild animal, slowly releasing his hair.

Spencer gasped although it made his broken bones yell with pain and winced. His body began to shake violently as his mind finally realized what was about to happen.

This… This felt far too much like one of Uncle John's handlings.

It felt like Uncle John had been all over him once more.

All other thoughts vanished when Liam made his move, so suddenly and violently that it struck Spencer breathless. His lips opened to a mute scream of pain when Liam pushed himself into him and began to move.

Spencer squeezed his eyes even more tightly shut and tried to force his mind out of the situation at hand. Blurry, incomprehensible flashes appeared to his mind's eye, only to disappear a microsecond later. He couldn't catch a hold of anything, not with the agony _everywhere _inside him. Another wince came to his face and he would've desperately wanted to scream when he felt how tissue became torn and blood seeped to his skin, sliding to the bed below him.

It felt like Liam was leaving nothing intact.

Spencer had no idea how long the torment lasted – to him the time passed was endless. But eventually, so swiftly that Spencer cried out before he managed to stop himself, Liam pulled himself out of him. Spencer didn't want to open his eyes, didn't think he even could've, but heard how the other man pulled on his clothes.

"I have to admit, Cody", Liam mused out loud. "I may be able to understand why Uncle John was so fond of you." Steps distanced, headed towards the door. "Now get ready. The next round of the game starts soon." With that the man left the room.

Spencer held his breath while pain kept spinning in the parts of him Liam had violated. Eventually he crawled out of the bed although it was a struggle he would've rather not faced and grit his teeth to keep himself from screaming out of pain while pulling on his clothes. Vomit rose to his throat, and he fought to keep it down while tears stung somewhere behind his eyes. He would've given almost anything for a chance to take a shower.

He'd never felt this filthy in his life.

He was so tensed up that he shivered when the closet's door opened with a tiny screech, and Henry stepped out cautiously. There was a terrified look on the child's face. "Uncle Spence, are you okay?"

Spencer tried to smile and hoped it didn't come out as a grimace. "Yeah", he breathed out, fighting to keep his face from showing how much it hurt. "I'll be just fine. Don't worry."

Henry frowned, still appearing unconvinced. "Then why are you crying?"

Spencer blinked twice with surprise. He'd never even noticed the tears rolling down his cheeks. He sighed, feeling utterly exhausted. "Come here", he whispered.

Henry didn't hesitate. Spencer didn't know how worried he should've been by the fact that even the physical contact from a child made him tremble. That thought, however, vanished quickly when he realized that Henry's whole body was quaking while the boy buried his face to his stomach.

Spencer swallowed thickly, running a unsteady hand through the little boy's hair. This time he knew there were tears in his eyes. "Hey, it's okay", he murmured in a quiet tone that didn't sound even close to as reassuring as he would've wanted. He blinked furiously. "Everything's gonna be okay. This nightmare… It'll all be over soon."

Spencer hoped from the bottom of his heart that he would've been able to believe in his own words. But just then a distant screeching sound made its way to his ears, and he _knew_ that Liam's sick game was nowhere near finished.

* * *

><p>Chills ran through Aaron when he, Derek and Ashley marched into the hospital, and he could see tension on Derek's face as well.<p>

Maybe it was befitting that he felt cold when he was about to meet a ghost of the past.

"Excuse me." They were all so deep in thought that they were startled by the female voice. Once turning they found a ginger-haired woman who measured them up with sharp brown eyes. "I'm Dr. Felicity Mannick. Is one of you agent Aaron Hotchner?"

Aaron nodded stiffly, flashing the woman his badge. "You called me about Elle Greenaway."

Dr. Mannick pulled in a long, deep breath that immediately prepared them for something extremely nasty. To her credit the woman's eyes were firm when meeting his. "She was admitted a little less than twenty-four hours ago, suffering from a severe case of drug overdose. She was in a fairly bad condition and we expected her to remain unconscious for at least a day, and unfunctional even longer. That's why she stunned us all when she woke up two hours ago, instantly telling who she was and demanding me to contact you – that people called… Reid and Henry need help, and that she really needs to talk to you immediately." Some apology could be seen in the woman's eyes. "I hope you understand why we had some hesitation in believing her. It wouldn't have been exactly the first time a patient poses as a FBI-agent. And she's still very incoherent because of the amount of drugs in her bloostream."

It was quiet for the longest time until Derek found his voice. "Can we see her?"

Dr. Mannick sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Usually I wouldn't suggest it. But since I don't dare to give her a lot of sedatives seeing you might be the only thing that could calm her down. She's…"

Just then their attention was ripped elsewhere when they heard loud swearing. Turning their heads they saw a young, hispanic male-nurse whose nametag said 'Marco'. The man seemed to be sporting a heavily bleeding nose. Clearly the nurse didn't notice the teammembers.

Dr. Mannick arched an eyebrow. "What the hell happened?"

Marco's eyes flashed with annoyance. "The 'agent' in 202 did", the man spat out, trying to stop the bleeding. It didn't take long to figure out who he was talking about. "She kept snarling something about a 'blue bird', and that she needs to talk to Aaron Hotchner. When I tried to put her on restraints she punched me. Say what you wanna, but I've gotta give her a sedative before she scratches someone's eyes out."

Aaron felt a mixture of worry, sadness, relief and amusement while the three of them dashed after Dr. Mannick towards Elle's room. But as soon as they entered the room the cold he'd felt before returned, intensifying.

Elle was nowhere in sight – the room's wide open window exclaimed how she'd made her exit. All she'd left behind was a badly messed up bed and a harshly ripped off IV, along with some drops of blood. The heart monitor to which she'd been connected screamed while showing a flat line.

Aaron must've been even more distracted than he'd thought, because he shivered slightly when Derek kicked the room's trashcan. He would've wanted to do the same.

He might've ended swearing out loud if he hadn't heard Ashley pull in a hasty gasp. Turning his gaze he found her staring into nothing with wide eyes. Her face appeared several shades paler than before. He frowned. "Seaver? What is it?"

Ashley swallowed thickly, looking at him. "The blue bird she was talking about… It's that painting, in the house where we just were." Her hands were shaking when she placed a strayed strand of hair behind her ear. "Reid and Henry… They were there all along. They're right there."

* * *

><p>The next time Spencer woke up he shuddered with startle and revulsion when feeling the warmth of another human body against his, and sickening memories came rushing back to his head. His eyes flew wide and darted frantically to his side – only to discover that at some point Henry had climbed to the bed and was now sleeping beside him, snuggled as close to him as possible. The child appeared even younger than his biological age while sleeping.<p>

Spencer shifted nervously and let his eyes dart around the room. How long had he been asleep – minutes, hours, weeks? When would the next round of the game take place?

Spencer's stomach dropped and a foul taste filled his mouth.

The next round… How much more would Liam be able to do to him without actually killing him? What could the next step be?

Fortunately he didn't get the chance to sink any deeper into those thoughts because just then a tiny sound escaped from Henry, and the child blinked sluggishly before waking up fully. The boy's eyes darted worriedly towards him before shifting to the room's door. It took a moment before he realized that Henry was shivering as the child whispered. "In… In my dream Liam came back here."

Spencer grit his teeth, running a hand quickly through the little boy's hair in a reassuring manner. "It's okay, Henry." He wished the typical 'It was just a dream' would've applied here. He sighed, trying not to stiffen when the child took a tight hold of him. He didn't realize that he'd bit his lip until he tasted blood.

Henry inhaled a shuddering breath, which gave away that the child was holding back sobs. The boy wouldn't look at him. "In… In that dream he hurt you. You… You screamed, but I couldn't help you. And then you just… disappeared, completely. I was all alone, and I missed you."

Spencer felt some moisture in his eyes, and a stinging sensation spread through him. But before he got the chance to say a thing there were steps and the room's door was thrown open. Liam's eyes were even more dangerous than usual when the man looked at him.

Spencer didn't know how worried he should've been by the fact that he couldn't feel the usual fear and coldness. His body and mind were completely numb while he pushed himself up from the bed, giving Henry's hand a squeeze of comfort when the child held on to his hand almost frantically.

But to his surprise Liam laughed. "Oh, I'm pleased to discover that you're eager to get the next round over with. Don't worry – it's almost at hand. But first we'll have to do some… preparations." Before he got the chance to ask Liam pulled out suturing equipment.

And suddenly the cold from before came rushing back.

Liam's smirk revealed a row of teeth. "What's with the face, Cody? I sincerely hope you're not scared of the dark anymore…"

* * *

><p>TBC, for a little bit<p>

* * *

><p>AN: GAH! And when you thought it couldn't get any worse… (shudders)

**PLEASE**, leave a review before tuning out! It'd seriously make my day – and, of course, keep my inpiration alive and kicking. (smirks wickedly) (Oh 'cmon, I so don't do blackmailing!)

It's getting late and I'm almost dozing off in front of my laptop, so I think it'd be a smart move to go to bed. (yawns) But first…

IN THE NEXT ONE: The team is on its way to Reid and Henry, and so is someone else. But as Liam moves on to the final round of his game, is it already much too late? The clock ticks to a brutal stop.

**ONLY THREE MORE AND AN EPILOGUE LEFT.**

Until next time, folks! I REALLY hope I'll c ya all then.

Peace out!

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><p><strong>Abigail<strong>: Oh boy! (chuckles) You really made me blush with you kind words, ya know? It feels insanely good and surreal to hear the story thus far has captivated you so! And to even think you believe I have a gift… (blushes even harder)

I REALLY hope you'll enjoy the rest as much.

Gigantic thank yous for the review!

* * *

><p><strong>ari<strong>: Intense it was – and brutal. (winces)

Let's just hope that the team arrives before it's too late. And that Elle survives, because it'd kill Reid if she didn't. (sighs)

Tons and tons of thank yous for the review!


	8. Flowers for a Ghost

A/N: (grins) Another fast update! Yay?

You guys, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your reviews! It's incredibly easy to write when I know that there are people waiting for the new update. (beams, and HUGS) You folks ROCK!

Awkay… (takes a deep breath) Now, are you all ready for this – for real? Because there's no going back after we jump to the final round of Liam's game.

Let's start the countdown.

3…

2…

1…

Bombs away!

(ONE QUICK NOTE, though… Once again the title of a chapter is a song; if you can, listen to it while reading! I think it slides in quite well.)

* * *

><p>Flowers for a Ghost<p>

* * *

><p>RJ Olson – who'd once been one of the city's best snipers, someone a lot of rookies from the force looked up to – was fully aware of the fact that he'd managed to screw up his life quite royally since he started using.<p>

His first, and quite possibly worst mistake was ending up falling into Liam's trap when the man promised him a quick, unforgettable fix. It was unforgettable alright, but quick was far from the word he'd use. Because it was also highly addictive. And before he knew it RJ was tightly stuck on Liam's web.

Stuck enough to end up doing 'favors'.

Informing Liam on the moves of the police was just the beginning. Betraying his own team of snipers was another addition to the list – he could've never imagined that killing them would be so easy, mentally and physically. Leading Elle Greenaway into Liam's hands with some clues was even easier. It also hadn't hurt that much to find new 'playmates' for Liam, even though two of them were children. RJ was willing to do whatever it took to make sure _he_ wouldn't end up being a 'playmate'. And when Liam had asked it of him, during some dark and lonely nights, he'd given his body for the man to use. Sex was a lot easier than the other alternative.

To be honest, the only thing RJ was unsure of and unnerved by was Liam. He'd seen what that man was capable of several times, which was one of the main reasons he was still playing along. Getting to the wrong side of Liam wasn't a thing he wanted to do. When he'd watched the man kill and torture he'd only been glad his pitiable soul had been spared.

RJ should've known to expect that he wouldn't be able run from the hands of karma forever. His luck ran out that particular day, when he was preparing a new set of traps into Liam's fort while the other man took care of 'the final steps' in the most hidden parts of the building. His swan song began with the sound of metal screeching against a stone wall.

RJ spun around while his hand slid instinctively to where his gun usually was, only to remember that Liam had taken it away as a insurance policy. RJ was unarmed, and face to face with Elle Greenaway who had a extremely sharp looking scalpel in her hand.

She was supposed to be dead but instead she was right there. She was still highly stoned, he could tell with just one look into her eyes. Stoned, and extremely dangerous. It was highly likely that she had no touch to the reality at hand.

RJ swallowed thickly, taking a subconscious step backwards. His hand fumbled for anything that could be used as a weapon, only to discover nothing. "Elle… Put that blade away. You won't need it. You're too high to be able to use it."

As though to prove him wrong she jumped forward like some kind of a wild animal, taking him to the floor before he could pull in another breath and falling on top of him, with the scalpel quickly finding its way to his throat. Her eyes were on fire when they collided with his. "Where… are they?" she snarled, every single muscle on her face tightening. When he didn't answer she screamed – howled – again, even louder this time. "Where the fuck are they?"

RJ's heart hammered desperately as he unsuccesfully tried to fight her off, her hold on his neck stealing almost all his breath. "Liam… Liam's already finishing off with them", he managed, starting to feel lightheaded. The feeling that came over him reminded him chillingly lot about the one he usually got when drugs sped through his system. He tried to swallow, only to find it impossible. "Sorry, _chica_, but it's… It's too late for them, now."

Elle's eyes became something that didn't look human when they stared straigth into his. "Well, then…", she hissed. "I suppose it's too late for you, too."

Still looking into her eyes, RJ realized just what she meant. And his eyes widened mere seconds before she started her work.

Her eyes were the last thing he saw of this world, before he suffocated on his own blood.

* * *

><p>Despite the amount of drugs he'd taken Liam had never experienced the kind of a high he did while staring at Spencer's slightly bloodied eyelids after suturing them closed.<p>

His task… It was almost over.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and leaned his head backwards, feeling how his pants tightened significantly. A pulsating sensation took over the most private parts of him, growing to a magnitude that almost drove him insane.

Although the man was whispering Uncle John's voice was to clearest thing he'd ever heard. "_Did you take care of the brat?_"

He nodded eagerly, unleashing a moan when the hand on his shoulder began to make rubbing motions. "Yes. Yes. He's…" He gasped, losing his focus for a moment. "He's with… an associate of mine, now…"

"_Very good. I'm very, very proud of you right now._" No matter how cold it felt he'd never experienced anything as unbelievable as the kiss Uncle John planted to his neck. "_Now finish off with your plan. Then I will never abandon you again._"

"I swear I won't let you down", he whispered, his heart hammering madly. He frowned when there was no response. "Uncle John?" His hand twitched, desperately reaching out for a hold to find nothing. Liam grit his teeth as tightly as he could.

Right now… Right now Uncle John was only alive to Liam, only alive in his head, in his blood, in his soul. But soon they'd be together again. He'd show Uncle John who was the best of his chosen children. He'd prove it with the blood of Cody Jones.

With that thought sealed Liam's eyes gained focus once more, fixed on Cody's firmly sutured eyelids. There was a tiny, crooked smile on his lips while he wrapped a small piece of fabric around Cody's head, covering the man's eyes. His smile widened when the other man shuddered and stiffened at his touch. "And then there was one", he whispered into the man's ear.

* * *

><p>Only one floor above, between the main part of the house and the most hidden layer of the basement, Aaron led a group formed by Derek, Ashley and JJ through the hallways with extreme caution. Every now and then one of them spotted a trap, and circling those was taking much longer than they would've liked to waste.<p>

Forever seemed to pass, until they froze at the horrendous sight that caught them all completely off guard.

There, lay on the floor directly before them, was the mutilated corpse of a man Aaron remembered faintly seeing in pictures at the police station. RJ Olson, one of the snipers who were supposed to guard Spencer during chief Hansen's disastrous attempt on catching Liam – the only one who'd made it out alive. Now he lay in a pool of his own blood, covered in what looked like a million lacerations.

"What… What happened to him?" Ashley whispered, staring at the body with open shock. It was in moments like this Aaron realized just how young and new she was. She swallowed thickly, and for a moment he thought she might throw up. "Did… Liam do this?"

Before Aaron could even consider answering they all stiffened upon realizing that there was someone else in the room. Aaron's eyes narrowed when discovering the slightly ajar door of a huge closet nearby, and in a couple of moments he gestured with his fingers. Derek and Ashley nodded instantly, and JJ followed soon after clearing her head. They made a careful count, then inched soundlessly to the door – and Derek kicked it open.

Only to reveal Elle, who was holding a crying Henry in her arms.

Something primal they'd never seen before filled Elle's eyes when she noticed them, and a sound that could barely be called human erupted from her throat while she lifted a bloodied scalpel, obviously fully prepared to strike.

It took all Derek had to hold JJ back when the blonde jumped forward with a scream of terror, desperately trying to charge towards her son.

It took a lot of Aaron to get his composure pulled together but he managed, ignoring how his heart thumped while he kneeled slowly, trying to catch of a proper glimpse of Henry. "Elle, it's us. Do you recognize me? I'm Aaron Hotchner." Through the animalistic gleam in her eyes he saw a faint shimmer of recognition that urged him to continue. "Morgan and JJ… They're also here with me. Henry is JJ's son, did you know that? She'd want her son back."

Elle didn't respond or even react, only kept staring at him.

Henry's cries turned into silent, heartbreaking sobs while the child's desperate eyes found his mother. "Mommy…!"

Perhaps it was the little boy's voice that finally got through to Elle. Some of the fog faded from her eyes while her lips opened to what looked like the first gasp of a nearly drowned man. Torturously slowly her hold on the scalpel loosened until the item fell loudly to the floor. As soon as the hold of her arms loosened Henry slipped away, sprinting to his mother with the speed of sheer desperation. In a flash JJ fell to her knees, tears running down her cheeks like small rivers as she wrapped her son into a breathtakingly tight hug. To anyone it looked like she was never going to let go of him again.

"The kid's fine. Reid made sure of that." It took a long moment before they realized that the quiet voice belonged to Elle. Her eyes were still foggy and distant, but at least not savage. She seemed to be trembling. Her eyes strayed towards the corpse on the floor and became slightly feral once more. "That bastard… was supposed to keep watch on him, while Liam was elsewhere."

Aaron nodded, feeling a bit too much to be able to process it all. He couldn't stop staring at the still crying and embracing mother and son.

They'd found Henry, safe and sound. But there were still two people they had to find before this nightmare could be over.

Spencer was still missing. And if Liam was with him they were running out of time.

* * *

><p>Spencer had been through a lot terror in the hands of both Uncle John and Liam. But this… Somehow this was the worst bit.<p>

It hurt, to have his eyes sutured closed. But the pain was nothing compared to the sheer terror that came over him once it was done and Liam wrapped some sort of a fabric around his head to cover his abused eyes. The world around him became nothing but darkness, nothing but chilling sounds and nauseating smells.

He was blind, and had no idea what happened to Henry once he was dragged out of the tiny room where they'd been. The last thing he heard from the child was the boy screaming his name in a tear-filled voice. That one sound smashed his heart to pieces.

Spencer had absolutely no idea where he was being taken, how long Liam made him walk. But eventually the man pulled him to a violent stop, harshly enough to make him emit a tiny whimper when his former injuries screamed.

He began to shiver and felt sick to his stomach when Liam stepped so close that he could feel and smell the man's breath. "I've been waiting for this very, very patiently. But now the time of waiting is finally over – it's time to finally make you pay for Uncle John's death." Liam touched his cheek with something sharp, managing to make a cut that started to bleed. "This… is the final round of the game. This is where it all ends."

Spencer's whole body stiffened as he waited for what was going to happen, his heart thumping so that he was almost sure it'd jump right out of his chest.

This, waiting and not knowing, was the worst part.

And then Liam made his first move.

Hard as he tried, Spencer couldn't hold back a tiny gasp when Liam leaned forward and licked his neck, making him shudder as nausea shot through him. The other man then bit down and even sucked a little, sure to leave a mark. Suddenly Spencer was almost glad his eyes were forced closed. He wouldn't have wanted to see the look on Liam's face.

It seemed to take forever before Liam finally stopped his ministrations, licking his own lips loudly enough for Spencer to hear. "It looks like no one is going to come and save you this time around. So why don't we finish this off right here, right now?"

Spencer held his breath to a point of starting to feel dizzy while the blade traveled on him, as though looking for a proper place to sink into. Every once in a while Liam emitted tiny sounds of pleasure and discontentment. This time Spencer wouldn't have even needed his eyes to see the look in Liam's; with how close Liam had pulled him he could _feel_ just how excited about all this the man was. It made Spencer want to throw up.

"Tell me, Cody…" The voice was tight, even more dangerous than the blade pressed against his neck. "Did you honestly think you'd survive another round?"

And then the blade went down.

* * *

><p>In the meantime a pair formed by David and Emily made its way through a maze of hallways, keeping their eyes firmly open in case of traps. Each step seemed to take a small eternity and they were starting to feel incredibly frustrated. It was taking entirely too long, and they wouldn't have had a second to waste.<p>

Spencer wouldn't have had a second to waste.

They were so tensed up that they shuddered when Aaron's voice drifted to their ears through the speaker phone David was holding. "_We just found Henry. He's pretty shaken but appears to be physically unharmed. JJ's got him – she took him to a hospital for a checkup and made us swear to keep looking for Reid._"

A collective wave of relief washed over them.

Henry was safe. That was the first piece of good news they'd received since this entire nightmare started.

The relief didn't get to last long, though. For a couple of seconds later Aaron spoke again. "_Any signs on Reid, or Liam?_"

Rossi grit his teeth loudly, his eyes narrowing. "Not yet. We're going through the hallways downstairs."

They expected Aaron to comment, but there was only silence on the other end of the line. And really, what words could've made the situation any better?

Her attention shifting elsewhere Emily let her eyes wander around the semi-dark space around them. It was a couple of seconds later her eyes locked on something she might've missed if there hadn't been so much adrenaline going through her.

Her blood froze, and she felt color drain from her face.

Right there on the floor before her were droplets of blood – barely visible, but still.

Liam… He'd taken Spencer this way. They were headed towards the correct direction. And they were in even more hurry than before.

"Prentiss?" David sounded confused, perhaps even worried. "What's…?"

He never got the chance to finish before Emily already sprinted to a run, blatantly ignoring him calling out to her, and the possible traps in the shadows.

She ran, and prayed from the depths of her soul that it wasn't too late already.

* * *

><p>Spencer couldn't scream, couldn't emit a sound, when the blade sunk into his flesh and he felt blood starting to seep out. He couldn't make a sound while pain sped through him in a searing, white wave. He couldn't scream the first time, the second time, or even the third – it was like his body had shut down completely.<p>

It was the fourth strike that finally made him scream out loud, although most of the sound became lost somewhere into his throat.

Liam chuckled, audibly amused. "Can you feel it coming, Cody? You won't stay awake much longer." The man's hands were surprisingly tender when they guided him down to the floor that felt like sand. "Shh… The more you struggle, the more it hurts." A hand was ran across one of his wounds, making him shiver under a flare of pain. He heard how Liam licked the blood from his fingers. "Just let it go. Let the blood pool out."

Spencer honestly couldn't tell how much blood he'd already lost, but it seemed to be _everywhere_. And no matter how hard he tried to focus it was getting harder by the minute. In the end the only thing left into his buzzing, rapidly shutting down head was the question of how much blood a person can lose before bleeding to death.

It was alarming that he couldn't remember anymore, wasn't it?

He heard Liam lean closer, and shivered upon feeling the man's breath ghosting on his skin. "You're still trying to fight it, aren't you?" A hand was ran through his hair. "Just let it go, let it take you under. And don't worry about Henry – we'll have a splendid time together."

Those words struck awareness into Spencer's head with such force that his steadily weaking body jolted. Once more adrenaline rushed through his veins, setting him on fire.

Henry… He couldn't leave him into Liam's hands. JJ had trusted him to be able to protect Henry when asking him to be her son's godfather. He couldn't let her down, not now.

His fingers fumbled convulsively in a desperate search for something that'd help him. And then his heart leapt when he discovered something Liam had failed to see buried into the sand. It was a stone, just about the size of his palm.

At that very moment he knew exactly what to do. He let go of all restraints, allowed the animal slumbering inside him to take over, and summoned all his strength to the trembling limb holding the stone.

And he swung.

Liam screamed out of surprise, rage and pain when the stone first met the man's head, and Spencer knew he'd found his target. His heart hammered beyond all control and vomit rose to his throat as he struck again, wishing he wouldn't have heard the sickening 'crack' his attack caused. Quickly, faster than Liam could strike back or fall on him he used all his might and kicked, sending the clearly stunned man to the floor. This time he screamed out of pain when Liam's hand, which had a firm hold on his shirt, pulled him on top of the man, making his injuries and broken bones howl in protest.

He gasped, feeling dangerously lightheaded and furiously trying to overcome the agony, until something primal took over his body. He lifted the stone and struck once more, only hear another nauseating crack, then again, again and again until Liam was completely limp and motionless underneath him. He felt warm, sticky substance on his hands, and knew all too clearly just what it was.

Spencer's body began to shake uncontrollably when slowly yet surely realization sunk in.

It… was over. Liam was gone, dead. It was all over.

With that reassurance all adrenaline drained from his body, like a switch had been flicked. And he couldn't keep the shadows at bay anymore.

He could've sworn he heard someone calling out his name as he crawled off of Liam, then slumped down right beside the other man. Perhaps he should've been worried about the fact that he couldn't get up anymore, but he wasn't.

He couldn't feel anything anymore.

* * *

><p>Since she was a little girl Emily had been a fast runner – she'd outsped most of the boys in her class. And that day she pushed herself to the extreme while dashing through the building's hallways, hastily dodging the couple of traps on her way. She didn't care about the taste of blood in her mouth – all she cared about was making it to her destination before it was too late.<p>

She didn't stop or even slow down until she actually saw Spencer. At that very moment she stopped dead on her tracks, her heart losing its beat.

Spencer and Liam… They were both down in a room of which the floor had been taken off, only leaving sandground. Judging by the damage she knew in a flash that Liam was dead. Spencer didn't look much better as the man lay there in a pool of blood, a red-stained blindfold covering his eyes. It was impossible to tell for sure one man's blood from the other's as the scarlet substance seemed to spread everywhere.

It took dangerously long before she managed to move. Once she did, she slumped beside Spencer in a flash, a frantic hand flying to search for a pulse. She actually cried out a little when finding one, no matter how frail it was.

She placed one hand to Spencer's cheek, focusing on the fabric covering his eyes to avoid focusing on the rest of the damage. She couldn't give herself the chance to break down just yet. "Reid, can you hear me?" Her heart skipped several beats, to a point where she was sure it'd stop altogether. "Reid!" she snarled out, her voice sharp with terror and adrenaline. The man shivered slightly but didn't respond. "Spencer, wake up! You can't fall asleep, okay? You've gotta stay awake for a bit, until we get you out of here."

Damnit, it was impossible to tell if Spencer was even conscious with the fabric covering the man's eyes! Deciding that she'd need to make sure she took a firm hold of the blood-stained material – until Spencer grabbed her wrist, weakly but still.

Spencer shook his head barely visibly. "Don't", the man whispered, sounding ashamed and scared. The genius licked his lips. "Please, don't."

Suddenly, with sickening clarity, she knew.

Feeling ready to throw up and blinking to get rid of the stinging in her eyes she withdrew her hand, pulling in sharp, hasty breaths.

She'd known Liam was _sick_. But this… This went past all her imagination.

She swallowed, desperately trying to hold back a bout of nausea. Her hand shook pitiably when she squeezed it around Spencer's for a moment before moving to look for all the sources of bleeding on his torso. _Fuck…_ The blood was _everywhere_. She gulped again, feeling how tears pooled into her eyes. This couldn't be happening…! "Okay", she breathed out, unsure if Spencer could even hear her anymore. "Okay, I won't touch it, okay? I promise. But you need to stay awake. Keep talking to me, okay? Talk to me."

Spencer nodded, but it took torturously long before his barely audible voice came out. "Henry… Where…?"

Emily's blood was rushing madly as she kept fighting to control the bleeding, only to realize that there were just too many wounds for her two hands. Her voice shook when she spoke, wishing she could've sounded more reassuring. "He… He's just fine – he's already back in JJ's arms. He's okay. So you just worry about you. We've gotta get you fixed up next."

She noticed, with some alarm, that Spencer's breathing pattern seemed to change, to become slightly more irregular. "Tell JJ… Tell her I'm sorry. Please?"

Emily opened her mouth, but before she got to say a word she heard Ashley's voice from a nearby hallway. "_Prentiss, are you down here? Did you find Reid?_"

She couldn't hold back the tears anymore as she peered over her shoulder and screamed at the top of her lungs. "We're here! We're over here! Get the paramedics!"

In a flash a storm of running steps and shouts began to approach them. But it was quite possibly a little bit too late.

Because there, right under her hand, Spencer's heart shivered before coming to a stop.

* * *

><p>TBC, for a little bit.<p>

* * *

><p>AN: (gasps) That… was exhausting to write, actually. I can't even explain it, but it feels like I've just finished a marathon. (chuckles, then blinks) Oh… yeah… I just left you on another  
>cliffie, didn't I? (starts running madly when things are thrown)<p>

**PLEASE**, leave a note to let me know your thoughts! (gives a puppy dog look) It'd be super cool, especially with how close to the end we are.

IN THE NEXT ONE: The family is together once more, but for how long? The real final round of the game is at hand, and once it's through nothing's as it was before.

**ONLY TWO CHAPTERS AND AN EPILOGUE LEFT!**

Until the next round, folks! I really hope I'll see ya all then.

Peace out!

* * *

><p><strong>Abigail<strong>: I means A LOT to hear that you've enjoyed the ride thus far so much, especially with how close to the end it is. (beams, and hugs)

Now, we've gotta hope that all the good guys get the happy ending they'd deserve. Just think if Liam would win after all this! (winces)

Massive thank yous for the review! I really hope the rest of the ride won't disappoint you, either.

* * *

><p><strong>ari<strong>: Oh boy, they've been through a lot already, haven't they? Let's hope the team won't be too late to save them. (gulps)

(chuckles) I had a feeling you'd appreciate the quick update. Soooo, here's another one.

Mega sized thank yous for the review!

* * *

><p><strong>vetgirl1231<strong>: I've missed your ninja bunnies! (beams) (Mah, okay, maybe I've missed you, too, just a little bit.) (smirks)

I can't believe the story's almost over, either. (wipes eyes) We'll see just how things work out when the final pieces slide into place. At this point it'd be heartbreaking to get a sad end, wouldn't it? (shudders) Let's just hope Liam gets what he deserves. (hisses)

HUGE thank yous for the review!

I'm sort of hoping to see more Ninja Bunnies some day soon. (smirks coyly)

ps: Hey, don't say that! I'm sure you'd be able to write an amazing piece of fanfiction, maybe even a series. Until such is aired I'm waiting eagerly! (grins) I must admit I'm flattered to hear you've like to read more from me, though. (blushes)


	9. The Scientist

A/N: (smirks) I'm baaaaack. Though, I guess it's high time to be after the cliffie I left you guys on… (sweatdrops)

BUT, first of all… THANK YOU so much for those absolutely breathtaking reviews! The last chapter sure got a lot of love. (beams with utter joy and GLOMPS) Thank you! You guys are the BEST!

Awkay… (takes a deep breath) Because I feel that I've already kept you waiting waaaaaay too long, let's get on with the story. I REALLY hope you'll enjoy the ride. (gulps)

SONG RECOMMENDATION: (These seem to be popping up a lot these days…) I think 'The Scientist' from Coldplay kind of fit this one. Please, do listen and tell me what you guys think.

* * *

><p>The Scientist<p>

* * *

><p>There were times when a forty-five years old coroner Misha Elling understood why some people seemed to consider her a freak because of her job. Today was such a day.<p>

She'd spent most of the morning with the horribly abused body of a five-year-old boy, listing the damage done to his tiny form with a stiff, clinical language that betrayed no emotion. But that, surprisingly, wasn't the worst part of her day. The dead she could deal with – all she had to do was listen to the story they had to tell. It was the living that got under her skin.

The living, such as agent Aaron Hotchner.

He was waiting for her when she came back from a short coffee break, his arms folded as he stood absolutely still, staring out the window. The man's face, which held a stony expression, didn't betray a thing. And he most certainly wasn't crying – Misha had hard time imagining he was even capable of crying. But his eyes spoke far more loudly than any words could've. There was no mistaking the look in them. A wounded wild animal, was the first thing that came to her mind.

The last time she saw him, over ten years earlier, she was the soul survivor in a case where a man had been hunting women to cut them to pieces after five days. Aaron's eyes had been the first friendly ones she'd seen in that pit of hell, and at first she'd thought she'd imagined him. He'd carried her out of the monster's house, held her when she screamed and fought back, still struggled for dear life although the sick bastard had been killed right before her eyes. Aaron had visited her in the psychiatric ward of a hospital until he went back home and kept writing to her, even through the darkest of her hours. He'd helped her regain sanity, and she was sure she'd never, ever forget him. Now she barely recognized him.

Misha ran a hand through her shortcut, burgundy hair before clearing her throat, mostly to get his attention. "Can I help you?"

The man's eyes instantly clashed with hers, a screaming plea for help in them. "I heard that a body was just brought in. I'd like to give it a look."

Misha frowned, folding her own arms. It was silly, really, but she felt a degree of protectiveness towards her 'clients'. After all, she was the only one who could protect them. "Whose body are you speaking of?"

Aaron's eyes were pure ice. "Liam Dwight's." Seeing the look in her eyes he went on. "He tortured one of my agents to a point of almost killing him, twice. The said agent is currently fighting for his life. And Liam kidnapped the son of my other agent. I want to make sure he's really dead or I'll never be able to look at the members of my team in the eyes again."

Misha swallowed. Usually such a request was completely out of question. But… After looking at him with a frown of suspicion for a moment she came to a conclusion that she couldn't be cruel enough to say 'no'. Not when she was only alive because of him – not when she saw that the pain was killing him. She took a deep breath and made sure no one was approaching, then nodded. "I'm giving you three minutes."

Aaron nodded, wordless gratitude in his eyes.

Without saying another word they entered the room on their right, and she led Aaron towards the furthest wall. She almost slipped into routines and told him to prepare himself, until she realized that this wasn't her average member of the deceased's family – he'd seen several bodies before. She opened the lid, then slid out the body with experienced motions. She gave Aaron a look and hesitated for a couple of seconds before shifting the white fabric covering the body.

Revealing the dead face of Liam Dwight.

Misha hesitated once again before speaking. "I haven't had the chance to perform a autopsy on him yet, but I can safely say that several blunt force traumas to the head caused his death." She pointed towards one of the wounds on Liam's head. "It looks like the second last hit killed him instantly."

Aaron stared at the body for the longest time before speaking in a tight, sharp tone that sounded like it'd been pushed through his teeth. "Did he suffer?"

For a couple of seconds Misha was stunned by the question. Then she took a breath, her eyes examining Aaron. "There… was pain with the first strikes. But my guess is that he collapsed quite early on."

Hard as she tried, Misha couldn't read the look in Aaron's eyes while he stared at the corpse long and hard, as though expecting it to somehow get up. His entire body began to shake and his jaw tightened to a extend where it must've hurt until the tip of all the tension in his eyes died away a little. There was a mild degree of relief, reassurance and peace on his face.

Liam wasn't ever going to open his eyes again.

For the longest time minutes seemed to stand still until Aaron turned around all of a sudden, so fast that she was mildly startled, and began to walk towards the door with a somewhat raspy "Thank you".

"Agent Hotchner." Although he didn't turn Misha smiled slightly, almost sure he could see it somehow. "Remember that you can call me anytime." Those were the exact same words he'd said to her, once upon a time. It was a high time to return the favor.

This time he actually peered over his shoulder to look at her. His extremely serious eyes left nothing to be questioned while he nodded. The door closed softly as he went after giving her a one more look.

Misha looked at the closed door for several seconds before snapping back to her senses. She shook her head and inhaled before focusing on the body lay on the table before her. Her eyes became sharp and hard while she lifted a scalpel. "Now let's get you over with, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Derek's head <em>hurt<em>. It'd started when their team had first barged into the hospital, and since then it'd kept escalating steadily. The others were talking quietly every once in a while, but the rush of his blood was so loud that he couldn't hear a word. His eyes stung and burned, but he didn't dare to close them.

Whenever he did, Spencer's battered body was all he could see.

Swallowing quite futilely against the horrible taste rising in his throat Derek lowered his gaze to his hands and shivered when seeing blood on one of them.

He'd never forget the sight that waited for him in that room, either.

How could he forget the sight of Emily giving Spencer CPR, howling the younger man's name in a voice that would've broken anyone's heart? Derek was fairly sure that it was the first time he saw her cry. It had taken him and Aaron to rip her off of Spencer when the paramedics arrived almost simultaneously with the unit chief. Derek was almost sure that his heart remained stopped for those endless moments it took before one of the paramedics announced that there was a pulse. Derek hadn't hesitated a second before hurrying after them as they processed to take Spencer away – he wasn't letting the genius out of his sight for another second. Derek was glad no one tried to stop him. He was in no mood for arguing. In the ambulance he took a firm hold of Spencer's hand, with no intention of letting go.

He wasn't sure if Spencer regained some awareness or if something else happened, but in the ambulance he suddenly felt his best friend squeezing his hand.

Spencer had held on, so very tight.

Held on until they'd made it to the hospital.

Now, with no further news having been given to them, the sensory memory of that squeeze was the only thing that kept Derek sane.

He refused to believe that someone who cling on that hard could just give up.

"Morgan."

He looked up with a slow blink, only to discover no one. Had he heard someone call out to him, or was it just static?

"Morgan." Ah, it wasn't. The female voice came from his right. He turned his gaze to find Ashley sitting on the chair next to his, looking at him. She appeared pale and tired. "Are you okay?"

Derek actually unleashed a brief, bitter chuckle at that one. "No." He looked around, taking in the sight in the waiting room. David had taken a seat in the furthest corner of the room and was currently staring out the window with glazed over eyes, arms folded. Emily was pacing around like a caged tiger, a wild look in her eyes. She seemed to be completely oblivious to the blood all over her clothes and hands. And Aaron… was nowhere to be seen. So was Elle, but that wasn't a surprise. Despite the woman's resistance she'd been dragged away for a medical checkup as soon as she set her foot into the hospital. "I seriously don't think any of us is 'okay' right now."

Ashley withdrew into herself, appearing embarrassed. It took several moments before she spoke again. "JJ… She asked us to keep her reported on what's going on."

Derek felt a flare – that of rage, sadness and utter helplessness. "Well we don't know a fucking thing, do we?" Then, after furiously trying to calm himself with a couple of breaths, he went on. "We'll tell her, as soon as we hear something. We've just gotta wait." Those words made him feel sick to his stomach.

Just then the room's door opened, making all the team members stiffen dramatically. In walked a young, dark-skinned male doctor who had a absolutely crushed look on his face. Derek could've sworn his blood froze when the doctor first headed towards him – then turned towards the young, red haired woman in the room's corner he hadn't even noticed. After listening to the doctor for only a couple of sentences the woman broke down completely, unleashing a howl of pain and falling to her knees to the floor.

Feeling tense, cold and sick all over Derek turned his gaze, unable to make himself watch for another second.

On the wall the damned clock was only five minutes further than the last time he looked at it.

* * *

><p>Two floors above, one particular room in the children's ward was quiet while Will and JJ sat there, never once tearing their eyes away from their sleeping son.<p>

According to Henry's doctor his only acute concerns were a small degree of dehydration and a rapidly dropping fever. The doctor hadn't been able to pinpoint even a single bruise. JJ had almost cried with relief when hearing that. The psychological side was, however, a whole another story. Henry had been hysterical when they came to the hospital, and it'd taken some sedatives to help him rest. Even now the child whimpered in his sleep every once in a while, appearing so very tiny and sad that it brought tears to JJ's eyes.

But he was safe, and in loving hands. The rest… She _needed_ to believe it'd mend over time.

"Jayje." It took a while before she realized that the sound came from Will – he hadn't spoken since coming in. His exhausted eyes appeared moist. "We're… We're gonna make it through this. Right?"

The question struck her speechless with stun and her lips opened, unable to produce a sound.

And before she got the chance to respond the room's door opened. In came Henry's doctor, a woman of her age with neatly tied black hair and gentle green eyes who'd introduced herself as Imana Dolevski. "Hey, there." The doctor glanced at Henry. "How's the patient doing?"

Despite everything JJ couldn't help smiling while looking at her son. "Finally getting some rest." She then grew a lot more solemn and gathered courage before focusing on the other woman. "The rest of the tests… What did they reveal?"

Dr. Dolevski's smile eased her rapidly thumping heart. "It looks like his body was introduced to some type of foreign substance, but he received the antidote in time – a couple of more hours, and there won't be a trace of it left. We suspect the said substance is what caused his fever." The doctor held a pause, letting her and Will digest the news. "As for the rest… We're now certain that there were no signs of sexual abuse. Liam never lay his hand on Henry."

Those words sturck JJ speechless, and breathless. She brought a hand to her lips, and finally did the one thing she'd wanted to do since they came to the hospital.

She broke down into tears.

It took several minutes and a long, tender hug from Will before she finally calmed down enough to wipe her eyes and look at the doctor with embarrassment. "I'm… sorry. It's just…" She trailed off, unsure what it was she wanted to say.

Dr. Dolevski smiled once more. "Trust me, I understand." She gave them a apologetic look when her pager bleeped. "I'm afraid I have to go now. But don't hesitate to call me if there's anything you or Henry want to ask."

"Thank you", Will, who seemed to be the only one of them able to speak, murmured.

After the doctor left it was quiet for a mighty while before Will spoke. "Look… I know how much you love Henry. But I also know that there's another person in this building you're worried about." He gave her a gentle look. "Go. I'll let you know if anything happens."

Unable to say a thing JJ got up from her seat and gave Will's hand a firm squeeze before walking towards the door.

Just before she was out Will spoke once more. "Hey, Jayje? I love you."

Finally JJ was able to smile. It was frail and tiny, but a start nonetheless. For the first time in what felt like ages she was able to look at Will in the eyes. "I love you, too." With that she left, the cold she'd felt not too long ago swimming in once more.

Yes, Henry was alright. But Spencer… She had no idea how he was – all she knew was that he'd been brought into the hospital. And the uncertainty felt like a knife had been plunged straigth into her chest.

Losing him once had nearly killed her. There was no way she'd be able to overcome that pain again.

* * *

><p>In the meantime the group gathered into the waiting room never noticed the hazy pair of eyes observing them.<p>

For Elle it'd been a long, hellish few hours of recovery, and she still wasn't completely sober. It felt like someone had been beating her head with a sledgehammer, and whenever she moved even a step she felt like throwing up. The shivering she was slowly becoming aware of was even worse. She wondered if she would've been able to hold anything without dropping it. She'd _never_ felt more horrible in her life, inside and out.

She grit her teeth so hard that she almost managed to draw blood, and blinked furiously to keep moisture from taking over her eyes.

She would've given _anything_ if she'd been allowed to hear how Spencer was doing, if she could've seen him to make sure he was still alright, alive and breathing after the hell he'd been through. If she would've had the chance to actually talk to the others and explain. But she'd made several awfully wrong turns, and now she'd have to pay for them.

She'd have to pay with walking away without the chance to look over her shoulder – again.

She knew she was getting off easy. When chief Hansen from the police had showed up to ask questions the lies had come easily from her mouth – the story of how Liam had killed RJ, the story of how she'd found Henry. He believed without a shiver of doubt. But for getting off easy, this definitely didn't feel that way.

She shuddered when a hand was laid to her shoulder. Turning her head sharply she found the sympathy filled blue eyes of nurse Vanessa Quin, who'd showed up to escort her a hospital named The Desert Lily. It was a rehabilitation center for women, a place for those who'd ended up messing their heads and lives royally. To Elle it sounded like a mixture of heaven and a prison. "They'll be fine. And they'll understand. Everything's going to be okay", Vanessa swore. And for some insane reason she believed. "You're walking towards the right direction now, although it may not feel that way yet. And if you want it to, your road will take you back to them eventually."

Without saying a word Elle turned her head again, refocusing on the people who'd once been her family. And for this one, chilling moment she could've sworn that Spencer was right there with them, looking at her with that smile she remembered so well it hurt.

Elle took a deep, shuddering breath, all too close to losing the little control over herself she still had left.

She'd do this for him. Wherever they'd meet again, she'd make sure he'd get to be proud of her.

She placed a unsteady hand to her for the time being flat stomach, and all of a sudden had no idea what to feel.

She had every reason to fight, now. She couldn't give up anymore, because she was determined to make sure that something good would come out of this nightmare.

"Are you ready to go?" Vanessa asked quietly.

Elle succeeded in surprising herself. She smiled, palely but still. "Yeah. I'm ready."

It was much easier to walk away when the bridges weren't in flames behind her.

* * *

><p>In the waiting room time kept standing still while the team waited, hoping, praying and driving themselves insane with thinking too much. The former quiet, occasional talking had stopped completely as they got lost into their own thoughts.<p>

It was so quiet that the group of trained agents was startled when the room's door opened. They didn't relax until Penelope Garcia burst in.

Instantly Derek was at his feet, and stayed that way even when the blonde practically crashed into his arms. He hoped his motions weren't awkward while he stroked circles to the woman's back. "Hey, Babygirl." His voice sounded like he hadn't used it in decades. He swallowed although it didn't help much. "What are you doing here?"

There was a glare in her tear-filled eyes. "Are you freaking kidding me? I… I couldn't just sit there, a million miles away, when our Baby-Genius is…" Her voice died out. It wasn't until then Derek realized that she was still crying – and trembling. It looked like she could barely stand on her own two feet.

He tried to smile, but it hurt so much that it felt more like a grimace. "He… He's made it through a lot, before. He isn't going to just give up, not now." He wasn't sure which one of them he was trying to convince. He didn't manage to reassure either one of them.

Penelope didn't quite manage to smile while she nodded and wiped her eyes, slowly breaking their embrace. She appeared to be on the verge of saying something, but instead bit her lips together as tightly as humanly possible.

The suffocating silence that followed was pierced by the distant echo of steps that sounded familiar somehow. There was quiet talking in the hallway before the door opened once more, letting in Aaron and JJ. It was difficult to say which one looked more miserable.

JJ's eyes were _pleading_ when they scanned through the team. "Have you heard anything?"

Emily merely shook her head, never once looking towards the blonde, but somehow the brunet's eyes spoke a lot more.

Penelope wiped her eyes once again, trying to make it subtle, before daring to try her voice. It didn't sound familiar. "How's Henry?"

JJ's smile didn't appear too gleeful. "He's fine. All he needs is some rest, peace and quiet."

Derek's chest became significantly lighter although the annoying sting that'd sat on it since the beginning of this nightmare remained.

At least Henry was going to be okay. At least they'd succeeded in that much.

He then found his attention nailing on Aaron. Although he knew it was cruel, unreasonable and unjustified rage lifted its ugly head. His eyes narrowed. "Where were you?" _Where the fuck were you when Reid would've needed you the most, when…?_

He honestly couldn't name the look that appeared into the unit chief's eyes. It carried too much to be read properly. "There was something I needed to do."

Derek opened his mouth, fully ready to spit out 'What the fuck was more important than Reid?'. But just then the room's door opened one more time. And this time the arrival was the one they'd been waiting for.

In came Dr. Felicity Mannick, her ginger hair a fiery mess. She wasn't smiling, but her eyes also weren't devastated. It made a hazardous amount of hope slip into Derek's chest.

Dr. Mannick appeared exhausted upon approaching them, but her face betrayed nothing. "I assume you're all waiting for news on Dr. Reid?"

Aaron nodded stiffly, as though he'd prepared himself for facing a extremely hostile interrogation. "Yes. How is he?"

Dr. Mannick pulled in a breath, her eyes scanning through the group in a evaluative manner. "We're still working on stabilizing him. He'll be transferred to the ICU as soon as he's stable enough." She searched through their eyes, obviously wondering if they were ready to hear the rest. In the end she grit her teeth before letting the words fall. "I'm not going to lie to you, so you'll have to say if this is too much to hear." After a second's pause she continued. "There were altogether four stab-wounds on Dr. Reid's upper torso, and they caused a significant amount of damage. We weren't able to fix all of it in one surgery – it would've been too much for him – so we'll wait until his condition improves to proceed with the rest. He lost a lot of blood, which is why he's going to be given several blood transfusions. He also had several broken bones, including two ribs, his left clavicle, his left wrist and his nose. The clavicle should heal nicely. The fractures on his nose and wrist were also quite neat, so they should leave no permanent damage. If necessary our plastic surgeon can take a look at the nose later. The broken ribs, however, caused some internal damage, the worst being a punctured lung. We're also worried about his heart. Clearly it's been put through a lot of stress. We're monitoring it carefully."

Derek didn't realize that his legs wouldn't support his weight until he fell ungracefully to the chair behind him, feeling like someone had swept him off his feet. A burning sensation took over his entire body, made him gasp and setting his eyes on fire.

This had got to be a nightmare…!

Dr. Mannick gave him a loudly speaking look and waited for a while before going on. "Right now we're keeping Dr. Reid connected to a ventilator to help his lungs recover. It's also for the best to keep him heavily sedated for a while so that his body gets the best possible chance to recover from all the traumas it's been forced to endure."

Penelope bit her lower lip hard, and it was easy to tell that she was close to tears. "But… He's gonna be okay, right?"

Dr. Mannick sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's hard to tell at this point. We're just going to have to be patient, and take this one hour at a time."  
>Derek felt like like someone had thrown a gallon of ice water on him.<p>

One hour at a time? Those words made him feel so sick that he had to swallow convulsively to keep his stomach in line.

"What about his eyes?" They were all surprised to hear Emily's voice. She hadn't uttered a word since giving Spencer the CPR. Her eyes were desperate as they bore into the doctor's.

Dr. Mannick's jaw tightened for a moment. "It's quite obvious that the equipment Liam used wasn't sterile, which means that there's a infection, along with quite a bit of swelling. As for further damage… It's impossible to tell before the swelling goes down and the infection subsides." Once again she looked at them all, seeming to come to a decision that they wouldn't be able to take much more. The pause that followed felt endless. "The wound on Dr. Reid's throat gave us a scare at first, but it wasn't as deep as we feared. It's now been stiched, and it should heal nicely. There were also wounds on his back, as though he'd been hanging from something. Those wounds also seem to have a mild case of infection, but that should be easy to get under control."

The entire team was struck out of all words, numb.

This was the second time they had to hear this – the second time Spencer had to go through this. And still, after all this struggle, after all that pain… There was a chance that they could lose him, that Liam would win after all.

How the fuck was any of that fair?

Dr. Mannick sighed. "I'm afraid I'll have to go back to check up on Dr. Reid." Once more she looked at them all with those infuriatingly professional eyes. "This is going to be a long couple of days, and I'm under the impression that you've had several long days. I'd suggest you go and get some rest."

Derek felt a flare inside and his eyes narrowed instantly. "With all due respect, there's no way in hell we're leaving until we know that Reid's going to be alright."

Dr. Mannick gave him a knowing look and nodded. "In that case I'll be sure to keep you informed. But try to get some rest, anyway. You all look like you could use it." With that she turned and began to walk away.

The doctor had almost walked out until Aaron spoke. "Dr. Mannick." The man's eyes were hard, as though he'd been profiling a UnSub. "You haven't told us everything."

Just one look into the doctor's eyes told Derek to prepare himself for the worst of punches. Perhaps some distant part of him already knew, recognized those eyes, because the nausea from before intensified and he had to grit his teeth not emit a pained sound. By the time the words came they'd already echoed in his ears a million times, taunting him mercilessly. "There… were clear signs of sexual abuse." Anyone could tell that she did _not_ want to say this. "The damage left nothing to be questioned."

Those words made something crack beyond repair.

Penelope, who'd been holding herself together remarkably well, buried her face into both hands and broke down into loud sobs. JJ also started to cry, but her tears came without a sound while she placed one hand to her lips and the other to her stomach, as though to hold down vomit. Her body was shaking uncontrollably. Emily, the one who once didn't seem to become affected by anything, folded her arms in a futile attempt to shield herself and turned sharply so that no one could see her face. This time it was David's turn to become swept off his feet. There was a look of sadness, disbelief and rage in the man's eyes as he ran a shaking hand through his hair. Aaron, their solid rock, didn't even fidget under the news. But his eyes flashed as something inside him smashed to pieces.

And Derek… lost it. Completely, throughoutly lost it.

Before the others could say a word he stormed out of the room without the slightest idea of his destination. It looked like his feet knew where to take him, though. He didn't even notice the two other men in the public toilet when he stormed in. They gave him a single look before making their decision and heading out.

Derek breathed heavily, as though about to suffocate, and his chest moved convulsively while he leaned to the sink and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. For a moment or two he thought he'd throw up. But instead there was a dry, almost choking sound. It took long before Derek realized that he was crying, the tears falling loudly against white sink. He'd never been shaking as hard as he was right then.

And then he lost the little control he'd had.

It took only one firm punch of his fist to smash the mirror before him, but he struck again just in case. And again, and again, until his knuckles were bleeding and he was gasping for breath. At that moment it registered to him that he must've been screaming at the top of his lungs the entire time. In the sink his blood mixed with his tears before he buried his face into his shaking hands and sunk down to the floor, feeling like there was no will left in his muscles.

They'd saved Spencer, he was in the hospital, fighting for his life. But even if he'd survive from the abuse done to his body… Would he ever be the same again? Would Derek see that genius to whom he once gave a whistle ever again? How could someone recover from what Spencer had been put through?

How the hell could anything be okay ever again?

* * *

><p>TBC, for a lil' bit.<p>

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><p>AN: Uh huh… (takes a deep breath) I'm actually physically exhausted after writing that one! Almost dozing off in front of my laptop. 'Wonder if that's a good thing or bad…

**PLEASE,** do leave a review to let me know your thoughts and feelings! It feels AMAZING to hear from ya guys. So… Pwease? (gives her best puppy-eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE: It's time for waiting. Will the scars and wounds ever heal, or will the entire nightmare end in tears?

**ONLY ONE CHAPTER AND A EPILOGUE LEFT, FOLKS!** (I seriously can't believe the end is THAT close!) (gasps)

Until next time, folks! I REALLY hope I'll c ya all then.

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><p><strong>ari<strong>: At least I updated pretty quickly. Although it doesn't exactly justify the demonic cliffie… (grins sheepishly)

It'd be just too heartbreaking if Reid died after all he's been through, wouldn't it? (winces)

Gigantic thank yous for the review! I'm overjoyed to hear you enjoyed the ride. (grins from ear to ear)

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><p><strong>Dqu<strong>: GOSH, I'm happy to hear that the ride thus far has pleased you! (beams)

Now let's hope Spencer survives to a world where there's no Liam haunting him. (winces) He'd deserve that much, at very least.

Humongous thank yous for the review!


	10. Hold

A/N: (grins) I'm on fire! The new chapter is already here. Whether that's a good thing or not… (quirks an eyebrow)

BUT, before getting to the actual story… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for all those incredible review! Gosh, this story's received so much love. (beams, and hugs) Thank you! It feels really good to update when I know you guys are waiting for this bit.

Awkay… (takes a deep breath) I suppose it's time to get going, no? I really hope this leg of the race won't fall flat.

A couple of things, though!

**A QUICK REMINDER. **I'm pretty sure you guys don't remember this anymore, but in the epilogue of 'ATTWN' it was revealed that Garcia was six weeks pregnant. In this chapter we may just see if she gets to buy pink or baby blue… (grins)

SONG RECOMMENDATION: I think 'Hold' from Superchick pretty much nails the mood in this chapter. It's a song I recently fell for. (smirks)

* * *

><p>Hold<p>

* * *

><p>The days that followed were some of the longest in the lives of the team members. In the beginning they all found it difficult to even enter Spencer's room in the ICU. It was unbelievably painful to see him hooked on all those machines, wrapped into countless bandages with his eyes and nose swollen. It was terrifying to sit there, listening to the infuriating beeping of his heart monitor, when they knew there was a chance he could just slip away from them any given moment.<p>

It took over a week before Spencer's body was so strong that his doctor Maura Harris – a woman in her forties who looked like a female replica of Aaron – announced that they could finally take the genius off the ventilator. They had a soundless celebration in the hallway when after what felt like a decade Spencer finally remembered how to breathe on his own again. The first inhales made the genius' chest shudder as though his lungs had been used for the first time, but then the breaths became easier.

That leap forward helped them with enduring the excruciating new wait that lay before them.

It carried them through the days when Dr. Harris announced that there was another infection. It even guided them through the endless night when David noticed that there was blood in Spencer's catheter bag. The genius was rushed into a emergency surgery with prayers that one of his kidneys wouldn't have suffered permanent damage from when the third one of Liam's four stabs scraped it. The team fought with all they had to keep a hold of the hope they had through the complications, infections and setbacks.

And then, finally, all that waiting paid off. Exactly two weeks, four days, ten hours and eighteen minutes after Spencer had been rushed into the hospital Dr. Harris told Derek and JJ, who were currently on watch, that it was finally safe to lower the dosage of sedatives. In a matter of hours Spencer would be awake.

Those words started a yet another round of waiting game. JJ'd, who was supposed to go home earlier, dashed out of the room to call Will. Derek noticed that her eyes appeared suspiciously moist. Granted, he wasn't all that far from tears himself. It felt surreal to think that this nightmare was finally coming to an end.

Focusing on his breathing to keep a whirlwind of emotions at bay Derek leaned back in his extremely uncomfortable chair and fixed his eyes on Spencer's unconscious, battered face. He opened his mouth but in the end no words managed to crawl through his lips. And so he kept waiting in silence.

He'd spent most of the past three weeks without any sleep. That's why it wasn't a huge miracle that he might've dozed off until JJ walked back in. His head turned just quickly enough to spot how she wiped her eyes before creating a brief, feeble fake-smile. "Henry wanted to talk to me. That's why it took so long."

Mostly to keep himself from going insane with waiting for Spencer to finally open his eyes, Derek chose to focus on other matters. He tried, quite futilely, to find a better position before deciding to give his chair to JJ. "How's Henry doing?" he asked in a tone that didn't sound familiar.

Perhaps that question was a mistake, after all, because JJ's eyes almost flowed over once more. She tried to cover the burst of emotion with a hasty nervous chuckle. "'Sorry. It's just… I'm a bit overly emotional, with the sleep deprivation and all." She took a deep breath and focused on her hands, which were twitching nervously. "Henry… is healing as nicely as can be expected, at least according to Lisa." It took a moment before Derek managed to recall that Lisa Olsten was the name of Henry's therapist. JJ bit her lip hard. "He keeps having nightmares, every night, though they're not as frequent and intense anymore. He's started wetting his bed again. The dark scares him, so we bought him a nightlamp. And he… he won't stop asking about Spencer. I don't have any idea what to answer anymore." She wiped her eyes and unleashed a slightly shuddering breath before managing to look at him. "But… He's talking – he hasn't stopped being vocal. Lisa says that it's a good sign. And he hasn't stopped trusting people."

Derek nodded, trying his hardest to make his weak smile reassuring. "Lisa's right. Those are very good signs."

JJ stopped talking at that point, and he chose not to push her any further when this was obviously getting far too much for her. So they waited in silence, JJ sitting as still as a statue with her hands clasping Spencer's tightly and he pacing around without getting a second of ease. And Spencer slept on.

Slept on, until the clock on the room's wall hit three thirty in the morning.

JJ, overwhelmed and throughoutly exhausted, had fallen asleep to her chair. That's why Derek was the first one to hear the signs.

At first the beeping of Spencer's heart monitor seemed to change. Then there was a tiny, incomprehensible sound he immediately recognized as that of discomfort. Because his body was in too much of a shock to function rapidly Derek turned slowly to notice that Spencer was fighting furiously to get his eyes open. There was a deep frown on the genius' face.

His heart starting to work on its very limits Derek finally got a hold of his body and hauled himself closer to the bed. His mouth felt impossibly dry as he spoke. "Reid? Can you hear me? Open your eyes. Trust me, you can do it."

Spencer gasped, like he'd just finished a long dive, then emitted a tiny whimper that broke Derek's heart. The younger man visibly fought with all he had, until after several minutes those eyes opened halfway. At first they were hazy, disoriented, until a flash of pain crossed them and they gained more awareness. Spencer didn't cry out or even whimper, but the way he stiffened told just how much pain was spinning inside him.

Feeling infuriatingly helpless Derek had to fight to keep himself from screaming with frustration. "Dr. Harris has kept you on minimum pain medication although she didn't like it. She couldn't go against the requests on your files."

At first he thought Spencer hadn't even heard him, but then the younger man nodded hardly visibly. "Good." It was barely even a whisper and painfully raspy, but it was Spencer's voice. And Derek didn't think he'd ever been as glad to hear something.

Derek just couldn't keep himself from smiling. For a moment he almost reached out a hand to ruffle Spencer's hair but quickly decided against it. "'Bout time for you to wake up, kid. You've been snoozing for over two weeks."

Slowly yet inevitably the memories caught up with Spencer. Derek would never forget the look of sheer terror that appeared to the younger man's eyes. "Liam… Henry and Elle…"

"Liam's dead." He wished his voice hadn't sounded as hard as it did. "And's Henry's… going to be okay. Liam never touched him." The thought that Spencer hadn't been as lucky brought a bitter taste to his mouth. "Elle's… doing fine, I guess. She vanished again."

Spencer didn't seem to know what to feel. Relief mixed with disbelief and still lurking fear on the man's face. After a long pause there was a nod, this time such that could be spotted easily, before the genius focused on him. "You… look tired."

It took a second before Derek realized what those words meant. Spencer… His eyes weren't damaged – it was one injury Liam hadn't managed to cause. A brief chuckle of relief broke through his lips. "Don't make me smack you when you're in the hospital. 'Though I'm not sure if I'd even get the chance to, since it looks like every nurse here has a thing for you."

Spencer tried to smile, tried so very hard it showed. And it hurt Derek to finally realize just how long the road to recovery was going to be.

Just then JJ woke up, snapping Derek out of those thoughts. At first she frowned, but slowly her eyes gained focus – and widened upon meeting Spencer's. Her lips opened, but in the end she couldn't emit a sound. And she smiled, so brightly that it was deviously easy not to notice that Spencer couldn't return it. She squeezed the genius' hand with such for that it looked like she was never going to let go. Spencer squeezed back, until he lost the battle against sleep and his eyes slipped closed.

While Spencer slept Derek and JJ looked at each other. And at that moment they both knew.

Spencer had woken up. The worst part of the waiting was over. But now… Now they had a wait of other kind ahead of them.

And Derek could only hope and pray that the person Liam took wasn't lost forever.

* * *

><p>As another week passed and Spencer's physical wounds healed slowly it became easier to see the emotional scar tissue.<p>

Spencer couldn't take any sort of physical contact from men – this applied to both male members of hospital staff and the male members of his team. Derek discovered this painfully when the man forgot to be careful and put a hand to Spencer's shoulder when the younger man was in a great deal of pain. The simple touch sent Spencer gagging and almost hyperventilating – and apologizing profusely in the aftermath. To the genius it seemed to feel devastating that he couldn't control the reactions of his body. Spencer also couldn't sleep, which was starting to take its toll on him. Whenever he dozed off he had nightmares from which he woke up whimpering, tears running down his cheeks and covered in cold sweat. Due to stress and lack of sleep nasty headaches were his constant companion. Eating also seemed to be a impossible task. He tried a few times but always ended up throwing up afterwards. His slimming form had Dr. Harris almost as worried as the team, but no physical explanation was found. Dr. Harris once announced with grim face to Aaron that if Spencer would lose any more weight he could be labelled anorexic.

Spencer fought to keep up a brave front for them, to pretend that everything was going to be just fine, that he was okay. But they were a group of profilers. They could tell that the genius was slipping towards his breaking point.

That point was reached one early morning three weeks and four days after he'd been admitted to the hospital. It also happened to be the day when he was about to be transferred closer to Quantico.

Emily was on her way to make sure Spencer was ready to go when she heard shouts coming from the direction of his room. Alarm shot through her and she sped forward like a attacking wild animal. The sight she found upon entering the room broke her heart.

Spencer had sunken into one of the room's corners, his head bowed and one of his hands shielding his face from sight. He was trembling, and it wouldn't have taken a profiler to discover that he was in a great deal of distress. Dr. Harris and two nurses were hovering worriedly around him.

Emily frowned, a fierce, burning hot need to protect the genius rushing through her veins. "What the hell is going on here?"

Dr. Harris appeared sad and tired when looking towards her. "We had to break Spencer the news that in Quantico he'll need to spend some time in a psychiatric ward to recover from the wounds we can't reach. As expected he didn't take it well." She showed her a needle. "I'm afraid I'll have to give him sedatives before he hurts himself."

Emily scoffed as she glanced towards the figure slumped to the corner. "Does it look like he's planning on doing _anything_ right now?" Her eyes weren't leaving much room for negotiations when she looked at the doctor. "The last thing he needs is a group of strangers making him feel trapped and sending him to the one place he's the most terrified of. Let me talk to him."

Dr. Harris didn't hesitate long before nodding. Apparently the doctor reached the same conclusion she had; things couldn't get much worse from here.

Approaching him slowly and carefully, Emily knelt before the genius. She placed a firm, comforting hand to his shoulder and didn't pull it away even when he flinched. "Reid, it's just me. Everything's okay – these people are only trying to help you. Everything's okay."

Slowly, with apparent difficulty, Spencer lifted his chin so that he could meet her eyes. It was around then she noticed it. There were tears shimmering in his eyes. "I'm… I'm not crazy, Emily." He sounded so sad, terrified and desperate that it _hurt_. "I'm not crazy."

She swallowed thickly but didn't quite manage to erase the lump from her throat. In that fragile moment of despair she did the only thing she could think of. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. "I know you're not. Everyone does", she half-whispered, rubbing soothing circles to his trembling back. "But… You won't be able to struggle through this alone. You understand that, right? You need help, such that only professionals can offer you."

Spencer was utterly quiet for what felt like a small eternity, and for a while Emily felt tempted to make sure the genius hadn't slipped into a place where she couldn't follow him. But then, so suddenly that she shuddered with surprise, he whispered so that only she could hear him. "Promise me you won't let them lock me up forever. Please."

Emily grit her teeth to keep herself together, and for a moment her hold on the man tightened significantly. "I promise."

Hard as she tried, she couldn't identify the small sound that came from Spencer before the man whispered once more. "Thank you."

For a while everything was absolutely still – with the nurses and the doctor hovering by the door with the needle, with Spencer simply breathing in Emily's arms, with Emily holding Spencer with furious eyes that challenged anyone to come and try to harm him.

And then, so suddenly that Emily gasped, Spencer fell completely limp.

For several moments terror made her blood turn into ice. It took a while before her chaotic brain finally recalled that Spencer hadn't slept in days – now all the stress and terror from those sleepless nights had crashed down on him.

"Agent Prentiss." There was open worry in Dr. Harris' eyes. "Is he alright?"

She nodded, too choked up for words at first. "He's… I think he fell asleep." Her eyes traveled towards the needle and narrowed slightly. "You won't need that."

Dr. Harris nodded, seeming to understand. The doctor then focused on Spencer for a while before looking back at her. "We're going to let him get some rest before he's transferred, alright? They're going to take extremely good care of him in Quantico. Everything's going to be okay." Emily truly wanted to believe the doctor's words. A tiny piece of her did.

Letting go of Spencer was the last thing she wanted to do, especially since he clearly needed support. But she had very little choice when the nurses stepped forward and lifted the practically passed out man gently to a bed.

Just before they took Spencer away Emily placed her hand to to man's chest. A stinging sensation took over her eyes.

The last time she held on to Spencer his heart had given up right under her hand. This time it was beating steadily, determinedly.

He was still holding on. And she was about to make damn sure he wouldn't be letting go.

* * *

><p>Much later that evening Aaron was still in his office when his cell phone rang. He frowned at the unfamiliar number before picking up. "Aaron Hotchner."<p>

"_This is Dr. Irina Volkov._" Her voice held a thick accent but sounded pleasant to his ears."_I understood you wanted me to call as soon as Dr. Reid has settled in._"

A frown appeared to his features, and he tensed up. "Yes. How is he?"

"_Upset about having be here, but he seems to understand why it's necessary for a while. We gave him some medication, and he's resting now._"

Aaron leaned back in his chair, feeling slightly more at ease. "Good. I'm sure you're familiar with his history…"

"_I am, don't worry. We'll make Dr. Reid's stay here as brief and pleasant as possible._"

"Thank you." Just then there was a knock on his door. "I'll have to go now. I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell him about this phone call."

Dr. Volkov seemed to understand. Her voice was softer than before. "_I won't. Goodnight._"

He mumbled a response, then steeled himself with a couple of breaths before calling out. "Yes?"

There was a strange, unreadable look on Ashley's face when she entered somewhat cautiously. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. "I'm… sorry to bother you this late, but… This is important."

Aaron nodded slowly, a frown on his face. "What's wrong?"

Ashley swallowed and hesitated for the longest time before speaking. "This entire nightmare in New York… It had me thinking, about what I really want." Her left foot was tapping nervously, and her fingers wouldn't stop squirming. She licked her lips. "This team… It takes a lot, to do what you do. But… You all seem to pull through it together – you're a family."

Aaron's frown from before deepened. "You're also a member of that family, now."

Ashley shook her head. Finally her eyes met his. "No, I'm not. And to be honest… I'm not sure if I even want to be." She grit her teeth, appearing very young all of a sudden. "Since I started with BAU, I've been having nightmares – I can't even remember the last time I slept properly. I have no idea how much more of that I can take." She looked to her side, pain flashing in her eyes. "All those sick things, those monsters, all that fear… I don't think I could handle it for the rest of my career."

Aaron couldn't bring himself to speak for a couple of moments. "What do you want to do?"

Ashley sighed, running a slightly unsteady hand through her hair. "I already talked to Strauss. I'll be transferred to a analysis team as soon as possible. My work in the NCAVC won't include any fieldwork."

Aaron looked at her, and realized that he didn't have to ask if she was sure of her decision. Her eyes told enough. "Do you want me to tell the others?" he inquired instead.

Ashley shook her head. "I'll… tell them myself, when the time is right. At the moment they have enough on their minds." So saying she got up, clearly preparing to leave. "I've gotta go. There are some arrangements I have to take care of."

Just before she was out of the office Aaron spoke once more. "Seaver." He went on when she looked at him. "Don't worry. You'll be a great agent."

She blinked once with surprise, then smiled slightly. "Thank you." With those words she left the office.

For a moment Aaron looked at the closed door, then took a breath and focused on the files before him.

It was comforting, in a way, that no matter what happened around him there was always paperwork. It was one of the few constant things in his life. And that was what he now drowned himself into.

* * *

><p>Since that day it was baby steps for Spencer, and the entire team. But this time it wasn't a waiting game – it was inching forward.<p>

Settling to the reality that he'd spend a while in a psychiatric ward was a mind-numbing shock for Spencer. Fortunately the place felt and looked much more like a home than he'd feared. As weeks scrolled by the terror of never getting out of that place began to subside. Dr. Volkov helped him see hope, a future outside the ward's four walls. But Spencer kept having nightmares, and no matter how much medication he received his nights were restless and filled with terror his instincts didn't want to let go of just yet. Eating was also a struggle, although he fought his hardest to keep down enough the satisfy the members of staff circling around him and the team. And no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't stand a touch from another man. However, slowly yet surely the wounds in his mind began to scar. So did his physical injuries.

Although it didn't feel like that for a long time, he _was_ crawling forward. Little by little life was about to win.

Three weeks turned into four, four into six. One morning after a particularly horrible night Spencer woke up to a strange, chilling sensation that he wasn't alone. There was a scent that felt oddly familiar in the room when he opened his eyes to discover no one. All that was left of his visitor was a tiny note left to his nightstand.

'_It's always the darkest before you see the light_', it said.

He stared at the tiny piece of paper with a storm of emotions rising inside him until there was a knock on the room's door. In a while JJ peered in, appearing atypically nervous. "Hey, Spence."

He tried to smile, truly did, but had a feeling that it didn't come out right. "Hey." He then glanced towards the note he'd just found. "Do you know… if Gideon's in town?"

JJ frowned. "Why are you asking?"

He shrugged, hiding the note as subtly as possible. "I was just wondering." He then spotted the nervous look in her eyes and frowned. "What's wrong?"

JJ bit her lip, visibly steeling herself. "There's… someone who'd like to see you, if you feel up to it. I think it'd do you both good."

Spencer frowned, then felt his eyes widen as understanding sunk in. Before he could steel himself fully Henry trotted in with a extremely nervous, almost scared expression. The child simply stared at him, finding every single one of his still healing visible injuries. "Mommy… Mommy said you're feeling better", the boy whispered in the end.

At that moment Spencer finally regained his ability to speak. "I _am_ feeling a lot better. And I'm going to be okay. Don't worry." Swallowing down the lump in his throat he motioned for the child to come closer.

Henry didn't need to be told twice. Before Spencer could prepare himself and faster than JJ could hold her son back Henry had sped his way to Spencer. Spencer shuddered when the child wrapped his tiny arms around him, closing him into a determined embrace. It took ages before he managed to hug back somewhat awkwardly.

"Henry, sweetie", JJ finally found her voice. It seemed to hold some tears. "Uncle Spence is still sore, remember? Be careful."

Henry let go of him obediently with nearly fearful eyes, but didn't crawl off of the bed. "Mommy said you still need help." The boy's eyes were very serious when the child looked at him. "Maybe I can be your guardian angel, now."

At first Spencer could only stare, struck completely stunned by the child's words. But then, very slowly, he hugged the boy again. Feeling his acceptance, Henry cling to him without a hint of hesitation. Nothing more needed to be said.

That marked the first night neither of them had nightmares.

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><p>Almost three months had passed by faster than any member of the BAU-family noticed it. That afternoon they were all gathered to the extremely beautiful garden outside the hospital where Spencer was staying. In the middle of their circle was a cell phone from which screams could be heard every now and then.<p>

Penelope's screams, along with the voices of Kevin Lynch and Derek Morgan. They had no idea how Derek had managed to coax the hospital staff into letting him along as well, and as Emily had put it they probably didn't even want to know.

"_C'mon, baby, just a couple of more pushes. You can do it._"

"_Oh… my God…!_" Kevin's voice shook pitiably, which pulled small grins from Emily and JJ. "_Is… Is that the head?_"

"_Kevin, I swear that if you pass out I'm going to strangle you!_" Penelope snarled before screaming once more. "_You… got this started… If I have to stay awake through this… So do you._"

There were a couple of more screams, along with language they could've never imagined hearing from the blonde, until after a small lifetime they heard something that made Spencer's heart stop for a second.

A cry. A small, shrill cry that seemed to fill all of him.

Penelope started to cry, and Derek sounded slightly choked up upon whispering. "_You did it, baby girl._"

There seemed to be tears in Kevin's voice when the man choked out. "_It's… It's a girl! Penny, we got a tiny princess!_"

Those words sent a breathtaking burst of joy through the team. Aaron didn't smile but the man's eyes softened, and there was a grin on David's face. Emily also smiled, and JJ's entire face glowed with joy.

Spencer, on the other hand, felt warmth spreading all the way through him. He didn't quite smile, but came extremely close to it.

It felt unbelievably good to have something like this happening after the nightmare Liam put them all through. This felt almost like a new beginning for the entire team.

He shuddered when suddenly feeling a hand holding his. Looking down he noticed that JJ had taken his hand and now squeezed firmly, a radiant smile playing on her lips. He hesitated only for a second before squeezing back.

The joyous mood lasted for a while until they noticed a woman with long, neatly tied blonde hair, brown eyes and black eyeglasses walking towards them. She was Dr. Irina Volkov, Spencer's psychiatrist. Spencer's stomach dropped a little.

Was it already time for another therapy session?

The doctor blinked with surprise at first upon noticing all the people around him, then smiled. "Well, it looks like you have a large group cheering for you today. So, why don't we go and get started?"

In all honesty a yet another 'session' with Dr. Volkov definitely wasn't what Spencer would've wanted, but as it was there weren't that many options. So he nodded, then got up and followed the doctor to her room. With every single step he felt the support of his friends pushing him forward. It made his steps feel a little lighter.

Dr. Volkov's eyes examined him while he sat down, making him feel like he'd been a animal in the zoo. "I see that you're not as skinny anymore. That's a good sign."

Spencer nodded somewhat cautiously, trying to come up with the right answer. "It's not as hard to eat anymore. I don't feel sick to my stomach all the time."

Dr. Volkov nodded, tilting her head slightly to the side. "What about the nightmares?"

Spencer shuddered, instantly looking away. His mouth opened, but in the end no sound came out. He didn't want to tell her that most nights he was still in Liam's hands, felt the man everywhere inside him. Watched how Henry's blood stained his hands.

"Spencer." Dr. Volkov's eyes were much softer than usual. She leaned forward, but didn't reach out to touch him. "I know that this feels like a endless journey, but it isn't. The steps forward are small but they're there. You've just gotta hold on a bit longer."

He gave her a dry, somewhat sour look. "This is our twenty-fourth session, and I still have to stay here. I'm sorry if I can't be overly optimistic."

At that moment Dr. Volkov did the perhaps last thing he'd expected. She smiled. "You know… I just saw that look in your eyes. And I think that for a genius you can be incredibly dense. Because it finally looks like we're really getting somewhere. The gang out there seems fully ready to help you walk through the rest of the road."

At that moment Spencer did the perhaps last thing he'd expected. He smiled.

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><p>TBC, for an epilogue.<p>

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><p> _And that's why I smile.  
>It's been a while<br>Since everyday and everything has felt this right  
>And now<br>You turn it all around  
>And suddenly you're all I need<br>The reason why,  
>I-i-i, I smi-i-i-ile.<em> /

(Avril Lavigne; 'Smile')

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><p>'<em>The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love, and to be greater than our suffering<em>.'

(Ben Okri)

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><p>AN: Gosh! (takes a deep breath and wipes forehead) I'm actually exhausted after writing this bit. It's been lurking inside my head for so long, and now it's finally here! (gawks)

Heh, a 'lil meltdown moment there.

BUT… How was the chapter – any good, at all? **PLEASE**, leave and review and let me hear ya out! Aww, c'mon. You've gotta know by now how much hearing from ya means to my poor lil' ego. (gives puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT (and – I can't believe this! – LAST) ONE: Time has passed, and while some wounds have scarred others are still waiting for healing. There are some things that need to reach a closure…

(wipes eyes) I can't believe that this is coming to an end!

Until next time, folks! I REALLY hope you'll all stay tuned for the final piece.

Take care!

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><p><strong>ari<strong>: It's a HUGE complement to hear that you think I write the characters well, because that's something I've been trying to pay a lot of attention to! (beams) I love these characters, so I'm happy to hear you think I've done them justice.

GOSH, I truly hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story just as much!

Colossal thank yous for the review!

* * *

><p><strong>Dqu<strong>: (BEAMS)

I'm horrible for what I'm putting these characters through, aren't I? (groans at oneself) But I'm ecstatic to hear that you've had a good ride nonetheless!

The best story? (blushes, and beams again) Awww, you're making me feel so happy! (hugs)

Gigantic thank yous for the baffling review! I really hope you'll enjoy the last two bits as well.


	11. Epilogue – And Then There Was One

A/N: Holy damn! You guys, it's actually here. The very last chapter of this story! (gawks) I seriously can't believe this is ending.

BUT, first, of course… THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for those incredible reviews! You can't even imagine how much good they've done to my inspiration. (beams, and hugs) So thank you!  
>Awwwwkay…. (takes a deep breath and sweatdrops) I suppose it's time to stop stalling and get going, eh? I really, REALLY hope you'll enjoy this final piece of the puzzle.<p>

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><p>Epilogue – And Then There Was One<p>

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><p>Spencer woke up.<p>

For most people it might not have been a huge feat at all, but to him it was a gigantic leap forward. Because waking up to the rays of morning sun, feeling actually rested, told that he hadn't been awakened by nightmares.

It was finally time to move on.

After almost three and a half months in the ward his physical injuries had healed remarkably well, although he had quite a number of scars all over his body. Damaged organs were fine once more, broken bones mended. Even his wrist gained practically full mobility. It was more than Dr. Harris had first dared to hope. Emotional injuries, however, had gone much deeper. The scars they left were much nastier than the physical ones. He wasn't 'all fine and dandy', but he was functional once more. And today he was going home.

Or technically, not into his own home. Dr. Volkov had insisted that he wouldn't live alone for the first couple of months. It'd taken quite a bit to convince Spencer of the arrangements, but in the end it'd been decided that he'd be staying the first month with Emily, the second with Derek. The time with Derek was a form of therapy in sorts. He still couldn't quite trust men – perhaps staying with one he knew to be safe and trustworthy would help. Spencer didn't like the idea of being someone's bother, but as it was he didn't have a lot of choice. And if he was fully honest with himself getting out of the hospital outweighed everything else.

Spencer sighed, restraining a yawn, and stretched a little before hauling himself out of the bed. He was pleased to discover that the routine of washing up and getting changed already ran smoothly. Dr. Volkov did tell him that getting used to everyday life started with small, seemingly insignificant steps.

As soon as he was done Spencer decided that there was something he needed to do before leaving. He left his room and ventured through the building's hallways until he reached a small, breathtakingly beautiful garden in the hospital's inner yard. Even the high walls surrounding the garden didn't manage to dim the place's beauty.

The garden had been his safe haven through a lot of horribly dark spots, a place where absolutely nothing could bother or harm him. During the worst of days, in the beginning of the road towards recovery, the garden was the absolutely only place where he'd felt safe. Even after he didn't really need it anymore it felt nice to sit there and watch the flowers, to become reassured of the fact that everything was still alright in the world.

Now he sat down to a long bench and closed his eyes, letting everything drift away.

In the end he was startled out of his stupor by the sounds of approaching steps. He shivered, but was pleased to discover that there was no panic. Apparently he wasn't afraid of Liam somehow sneaking up on him anymore. Instead he discovered Dr. Volkov walking towards him with a tiny smile on her face. "Those friends of yours, Prentiss and Morgan, came to get you. They had a feeling you might be up early. I wanted to see you before you go."

He blinked twice while getting up, quite anxious to get going. "Oh. Why?" He'd thought they said 'goodbye' during their final meeting the day before.

During their sessions Dr. Volkov had never even tried to touch him. But at that very moment she gave him a brief yet tender hug. And he accepted it without a flinch. Her smile form before widened when they parted. "You've come a long way, and I'm sure you'll make it all the way through. Remember that. I've met that outpatient therapist of yours, Quin Wyler, before. She's a real miracle worker." She poked his ribs gently. "And start eating properly. The next time I see you, you'd better have some meat on those bones."

Usually Spencer was annoyed by how everyone seemed to press him on his weight. But at that moment he smiled. He didn't really feel like saying anything. That's why he simply gave the woman a tiny wave, then turned and walked away.

And somehow that was the rightest and truest thing he could've done.

As soon as he made it to the hallway outside his room he found Derek and Emily waiting for him. Derek gave him a grin. "Ready to go, Pretty boy?"

His eager nod almost made the two others chuckle. "I've already packed up. Not that there would've been a lot of stuff to pack."

Emily smirked in a way he'd never seen before. He was almost sure that the touch she gave his shoulder while following him to the room wasn't an accident. "We were kind of guessing you had. Morgan parked the getaway car almost right outside the front door of this place."  
>It took a moment before Spencer recognized the change on his face. It was almost amusing that he'd nearly forgotten what a pure, honest smile felt like.<p>

It felt damn good.

He picked up the one bag that included all the possessions he'd had in this place, then gave his small, somewhat cozy room a one last long look.

Inside these walls he'd spent several nights wide awake, wondering if he'd ever get out.

Inside these walls he'd cried for the first time since the entire nightmare ended.

Inside these walls he'd fallen apart completely, only to put himself back together again, piece by a sharp piece.

Inside these walls he'd started to believe in healing, or at least scarring.

Inside these walls Cody Jones had been brought back to life.

Inside these walls Spencer Reid had been redeemed.

Now it was time to live and breathe on his own again. Or well, almost on his own. He supposed it was time to get used to the idea that he didn't have to shoulder everything all alone anymore.

A hand was place to his shoulder, and this time he didn't flinch away. There was worry in Emily's eyes. "Are you okay?"

He nodded without a hint of hesitation. "Yeah. I am." This time he even meant it.

From the eyes of Derek and Emily he could see that they believed him as well. Comfortable silence lingered around them while he got his bag and the three of them left the room. Spencer didn't think he'd ever forget the sound the door made when he closed it for the final time.

As Emily had said, their car was waiting almost right outside the building's front door. Spencer slid gratefully to the backseat and pulled in a long, even breath while allowing his entire body to relax. He didn't think he'd ever felt as light as he did then.

Derek gave him a grin filled look through the rear-view mirror. "So, let's go home."

Spencer nodded eagerly, finding himself speechless.

Once the car began to move Spencer looked towards the hospital once more, feeling better than he had since Liam re-emerged. He watched the building getting smaller and smaller until he shifted and focused his eyes on the road ahead.

He hoped, from the bottom of his heart, that that would mark the last time he ever looked back.

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><p>Even before Spencer was discharged, the team made a conscious decision not to make a huge deal out of the man's return. It would've only made him feel uncomfortable. They did visit him though, quite frequently, and although it was never voiced tried to make up for all the time Liam had stolen from them.<p>

It felt good, that their family was whole once more. And the changes in Spencer proved that he felt the same way.

They didn't know what Emily said or did, but she got Spencer to enjoy of meals again. He was still skinny after his month with her, but at least not sickly anymore. The dark circles around his eyes were slightly less pronounced. When she brought Spencer to Derek's apartment the genius was finally truly _talking_, like the man they'd known. And there was something in his eyes that Derek recognized from long ago passed days.

On that day they truly dared to believe that the man that'd been taken from them was still in there.

The first couple of weeks the two men lived together weren't easy, though. It took some time before Derek got a hang of which things were 'off limits', so he ended up tiptoeing around Spencer and making them both feel uncomfortable. It was also infuriatingly hard for him to comfort Spencer when the man had nightmares because no physical contact was allowed. It killed Derek, because long before Liam he'd already grown used to little touches being something common and casual between them; wrapping one arm around Spencer's shoulders, ruffling the man's hair… But he grit his teeth and endured, trying to remind himself that this just couldn't last forever.

They got by, and both their scars continued mending. As expected it did Spencer a lot of good to live with a man who'd _never_ harm him, and Derek's own nightmares began to subside when he could see for himself that Spencer was going to be alright.

On the second evening of the third week Derek's eyes held a great deal of irritation when he stared at the completely burned over remnants of what was supposed to be their dinner.

He'd never been much of a cook, but this… was ridiculous.

To add his humiliation just then the apartment's door opened and Spencer walked in. Judging by how heavy the younger man's steps were he could tell the genius' session with Quin Wyler had been exhausting. "Hey", Spencer greeted, then stopped. "What's… this smell?"

Derek groaned, feeling humiliated. "There… was a tiny incident in the kitchen."

Spencer walked in before Derek could hide his source of embarrassment, a curious look in his brown eyes. The younger man blinked once when glancing towards the pitiable attempt of cooking. "Is that… chicken?"

Derek winced. "It was _supposed to be_ a dinner. But I don't think it's a good idea to taste it unless you want to spend the night in a bathroom."

At that moment Derek heard something he'd completely forgotten. It was Spencer's laugh.

As soon as he turned his gaze towards the brunet the man covered his mouth with one hand, appearing extremely embarrassed.

Derek, on the other hand, couldn't keep himself from smiling. "Damn, kid. You have no idea how much we've all wanted to hear that." Then, to avoid bringing the younger man any further humiliation, he took his cell phone. "I think this calls for ordering in. How does Chinese sound?" Seeing the look in the other man's eyes he hurried to continue. "Forks will be included, I promise. The last thing I want is you starving."

It was Spencer's turn to smile. All tension had vanished from the man's eyes.

After eating they sat lazily on a couch, absentmindedly watching a movie the name of which Derek couldn't even remember anymore.

"Did you know…", Spencer started in a somewhat sleepy tone. "… that when Kentucky Fried Chicken first translated its advertising slogan 'finger lickin' good' into Chinese, it came out as 'eat your fingers off'?"

It took a moment for Derek to process what he was hearing. When he did his eyes widened slightly while warmth swelled in his stomach. This was the first time since Liam he heard Spencer shooting out facts. He hadn't even realized before how much he'd missed them. "No", he admitted in a soft, somewhat uncharacteristic tone. "I didn't know that." He then yawned, blinking thrice to keep himself awake. "Do you feel up to getting the desert now?" He frowned when there was no response. "Kid?"

Turning his gaze, he grinned at what he found.

At some point Spencer had fallen asleep on the couch. The was a utterly calm, almost serene look on the man's face that made him seem a lot younger than he was.

His eyes softening, Derek took the small blanket that'd been resting on the other end of the couch and spread it cautiously over Spencer, careful not to disturb the man's rest. After that he relaxed once more, his half-open eyes darting towards the television. And everything was good in the world.

It didn't take long before Derek fell asleep as well.

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><p>Just before Spencer's last week with Derek the team had to head to Minneapolis for a case. At the exact same time Will's job demanded him to leave the city, which meant that neither of his parents could keep an eye on Henry. The entire team was surprised when Spencer offered to take on the baby sitting duty. JJ didn't have it in her to decline, so she left her son to the care of her dearest friend and made Spencer swear that he'd take excellent care of him.<p>

Not that she would've had to. She'd seen, all too clearly, what Spencer was willing to do for her son.

In four days the case was closed. JJ's steps were heavy with exhaustion when she followed Derek towards the man's apartment.

"Do you think those two have trashed the entire place?" the dark-skinned man inquired with a tiny, cheeky grin.

JJ winced, all sorts of horror pictures flashing through her head. Henry could be quite a handfull when he decided to be, especially now that he'd hit the negative age. She really hoped Spencer had been prepared for that. "Open the door carefully, just in case", she advised in a very serious tone.

Derek nodded slowly, slight panic appearing to the his eyes, and obeyed. They were both stunned to discover that the apartment wasn't only spotlessly clean, but also very, very quiet. The only sounds they heard were two voices talking quietly somewhere in the distance.

Exchanging surprised looks they walked soundlessly towards the direction of the voices. What they found made JJ's heart swell and warmth spun absolutely everywhere inside her.

Spencer and Henry were completely oblivious to the rest of the world while sitting on the floor and draving unidentifiable pictures to a huge piece of paper. Every now and then the two of them exchanged a couple of words, but mostly there seemed to be this bizarre wordless connection between them. At one point Spencer even managed to offer Henry the exact color the child had wanted without a request or a glance towards the boy. JJ couldn't help noticing that the entire time one of Henry's hands lingered less than an inch from Spencer's, almost touching. And the genius didn't seem to mind although he must've felt the warmth.

She'd known that Henry had recovered remarkably well from the entire ordeal, and that Spencer was getting there little by little, but this… This surpassed all her wildest dreams.

Her attention was pried elsewhere when Derek nudged her arm and nodded towards the door. She followed him reluctantly, unwilling to leave the heartwarming sight behind. They closed the door soundlessly and left the two into their own world.

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><p>Seven months. To date. That was how long had passed from Liam's death. Spencer knew, because he'd been keeping track.<p>

It took that long until Spencer finally felt good and stable enough to do something he should've done a long time ago.

He was planning on visiting his mother, because this was definitely something they'd have to discuss face to face. Fear over how she'd react, how this all would affect on her health, mixed with anticipation.

Perhaps after this life would start to feel a little bit closer to normal, with his regular letters to his mother, with being able to share his life with her, with being able to let her know that he was alright.

He really missed 'normal'.

"Oh, wow!" Penelope's voice awakened him to the present. "You'd left the door unlocked", the woman pointed out when seeing his expression. She appeared genuinely impressed while looking around his new apartment. There was a grin on her face. "I see you're starting to settle in."

As soon as his time with Derek was over Spencer had gone back home. But, as it turned out, his old apartment didn't offer him the degree of comfort he would've wanted – after all Liam had been there, set traps for him into the place where he was supposed to feel the safest. So he'd started looking for a new apartment and finally found one almost three weeks earlier. Some full boxes were still scattered around, but at least the place was starting to look and feel like home. Quite unsurprisingly books had been the first items he'd unpacked.

The day he moved in Spencer also dyed his hair brown once more. But this time it wasn't to escape from the past. It was a leap into the future.

Spencer felt all tension melt from his face. "Yeah. I guess I am settling in." He then frowned. "I thought you guys were working on a case."

Penelope shrugged. "We are. But I had to come and see you off." She looked towards the baby girl resting in her arms, and her eyes softened instantly. "Besides, Lucia Isabella Garcia-Lynch wanted to come and say 'bye' to her goddaddy."

Spencer just had to smile as he walked over to the two and tickled Lucia's stomach with one finger. The baby immediately squirmed in delight and emitted something that sounded close to a giggle.

Penelope chuckled. "Awww, you're really showing uncle Reid the best of you, aren't you?" She then focused on him. "The rest of the team would've wanted to come and see you, too. But San Diego was calling."

"I know." To be honest, Spencer had chosen to leave on a day when the team was working on a case – he hadn't wanted them hovering around him worriedly. He didn't want to tell that to Penelope, but somehow he had a feeling that she guessed and understood. He gave her a tiny, slightly uncertain smile. "Would you tell tem 'hi', when you talk to them again?"

Penelope's smile was bright, contagious. "Sure thing, sweetie." She then seemed to remember something. There was a bizarre look in her eyes when she took an envelope from her purse and handed it towards him. "This… came for you, to the office. Obviously someone expected you to be working there."

Spencer frowned while accepting the offering, and opened the envelope with a great deal of caution. What he found was the about last thing he'd expected.

There was a 'six months sober' honor medal from NA, along with a brief letter. What really had his eyes glued, though, was the picture.

In the picture was Elle, with a slight smile that reminded him of the days when she was still a agent. She looked extremely healthy, and he couldn't help noticing that her hair had grown slightly longer. In her arms rested a extremely adorable, almost newborn baby boy.

'_Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. (Helen Keller)_', the letter said. There were also some lines from Elle.

_Who knows, perhaps something good came out of that nightmare, after all. I think so every day when I look at my son. So stay strong. Baby Cade is looking forward to seeing you. _

_Tell Garcia to send me a one more e-mail. This time I'll reply, I promise._

_-Elle_

"Reid?" There was a slightly worried look on Penelope's face. "What was it?"

A slight smile Spencer wasn't even aware of appeared to his face when he showed the blonde the photograph. "Elle and her son wanted to say 'hi'."

Penelope emitted a squeal of delight and clapped her hands together, her eyes shining with excitement as she stared at the picture. "Oh, goodness me…! The little one looks just like his mommy."

This time Spencer realized he was smiling. "She asked me to tell you to keep mailing her. She'll send a reply this time."

Penelope's eyes softened. And nothing more needed to be said.

After a moment the blonde wiped her eyes, maneuvering Lucia amazingly skillfully to one arm. "Sorry. I wasn't expecting to get this emotional." In a couple of moments she got herself pulled back together. Spencer didn't know what to make of the look she gave him, along with a wide grin. "Now let's go. Your ride's already waiting."

Spencer nodded slowly, lifting one eyebrow. "O… kay." He'd honestly thought he'd take a cab to the airport. Who would be driving him? Kevin? If he was fully honest with himself that thought didn't sound very appealing; they barely knew each other. "I'll just get my bag."

They left the apartment and walked down the stairs with Penelope chirping constantly in a excited tone Spencer hadn't heard in ages. When they made it out of the building the blonde grinned upon spotting a certain red car he didn't remember ever seeing before. Perhaps Kevin had bought a new one. "I'm afraid I'll have to go to work, sweetie. But that… would be your ride today." Completely unexpectedly she pulled him into a tight hug, careful not to squash Lucia. "Be good, and stay safe. I'm expecting you to give me regular reports on how you're doing."

Spencer rolled his eyes, but couldn't help smiling. "I'll be fine. I'm an adult, remember?"

Penelope gave him a wry look. "That's right, but you're also Spencer Reid." Her eyes then flashed in a way that unnerved him. "Now move it! You shouldn't keep a lady waiting."

He frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Penelope smirked. "You'll just have to go and find out." She gave him a wave. "Good luck!"

Curious and even mildly cautious, Spencer walked all the way to the car, opened the door slowly – and felt his eyes widen considerably at who was sitting on the driver's seat.

Tianna Wargas gave a look that held a mixture of annoyance, surprise and amusement. It wasn't hard to tell that she was pleased to see him. "Boy, you sure have changed – Dr. Reid."

Spencer blinked twice, still in quite a bit of shock. "How… did you…?"

Tianna shrugged, smirking. "Let's say that a certain 'Oracle of All Knowing' from your team thought that there's something I should know. She sent me e-mail about a week ago." The woman arched an eyebrow. "I must admit that I could've never imagined you to be a FBI-agent."

Spencer cast his eyes towards his shoes, feeling unpleasant pressure in his chest. "I'm sorry that I lied to you."

Tianna shrugged, her eyes softening. "Judging by what I've gathered, you had a fairly good reason to do that. But I promise you, if you ever lie to me again I'm going to punch you." She then patted the passanger's seat of the car. "Are you going to hop in or not?"

A slight amount of heat rising to his cheeks Spencer entered the car and closed the door softly, working his hardest to find a comfortable position. He didn't manage to speak until after several moments, when Tianna began to drive. "I… don't mean to sound rude, or anything, but… What are you doing in Quantico?"

Tianna smirked. "Well, Orion missed her master. You really wrapped that cat around your little finger. She's with Prentiss, now, having the time of her life with Sergio." The woman held a small pause, taking a street to the right. "Also, I'm sort of moving in. Chicago felt boring without you." Her eyes swept towards him, and a smile that reminded him of satisfied wild cat appeared to her lips. "That hair suits you, by the way. I've never been a huge fan of black."

This time Spencer felt how a radiant blush took over his face, and he couldn't look at the woman for a long time. "Thank you. You… look nice, too." He cleared his throat before attempting speaking again. "I… guess there's quite a bit I should tell you."

Tianna shrugged once more. "I understood you needed someone to help you get to Las Vegas. It looks like we've got plenty of time."

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><p>Exactly a year and two months after the nightmare with Liam ended, the entire BAU-team was walking on flaming carbon.<p>

It'd taken this long for Aaron to fill the empty spot left by Ashley's unexpected departure. When they came home from a case the day before the unit chief announced that they'd finally meet the new member of their team. As a result almost all of them were at work at least an hour before would've been necessary. They hadn't been early enough, though, for Aaron and the mysterious new member of their team had been faster. Now the rest of them could only wait, casting impatient glances towards the door of Aaron's office.

While JJ attempted to focus on paperwork Emily found herself pacing all over the place and Derek sat on his desk without getting a second of ease. "What the heck is taking them this long?"

Emily opened her mouth, but just then David walked in, looking like he'd walked to work through a hurricane. They all noticed that the man was wearing the same clothes he did the day before.

Emily arched an eyebrow. "Where have _you_ been?"

David gave her a very satisfied smirk. "A gentleman doesn't tell." He then glanced towards Aaron's office with a frown. "Have there been any news yet?"

Derek scoffed. "Apparently Hotch likes to keep driving us insane."

They all turned to look upon hearing steps hurrying towards them. There was a shocked look on Penelope's face while she rushed on, her eyes wide. "I… just managed to hack my way into some of Hotch's files… You're not going to believe this…!"

Before she got the chance to make her huge revelation the door of Aaron's office finally opened. At first Erin Strauss emerged, a unreadable look on her face. She greeted them with a nod. "Agents."

They also gave her a nod, unable to tear their eyes away from the door. Because just then it opened again.

Aaron walked out – almost instantly followed by Spencer.

At first they all stared with quite open stun until realization dawned in. "This… isn't a joke, right?" Penelope asked cautiously.

Aaron seemed to come very, very close to smiling when the man shook his head. "Reid passed his psychological evaluation. And Strauss just confirmed that although he kept some secrets from the FBI in the past, he's cleared to rejoin the force. There's a probation, though."

For a second it was completely silent as shock took over the team. After that the havoc began.

Penelope was quick to catch the genius into a huge bear hug. "You have no idea how good it is to have you back!"

Emily walked in next. The others felt like they'd been intruding and wanted to look away when she brushed his cheek gently with one hand, so swiftly that it could've easily been missed. "This place hasn't been the same without you, doc."

As soon as the two broke apart JJ approached Spencer, some hesitation in her steps. The uncertainty didn't last long, though. When their eyes met she walked on much faster, and in the end threw her arms tightly around Spencer. No words were needed when the two embraced each other, Spencer closing his eyes and JJ burying her face to his shoulder. The hold they had on one another said enough.

Once the hug ended David congratulated the brunet with a nod. "Welcome back", the man said with a clearly satisfied grin.

Derek was the last one to approach Spencer. He gave the younger man a smile that radiated all he would've never been able to speak out. "Welcome back home." It was around then he realized what he'd done. One of his hands had been laid to Spencer's shoulder. He stiffened slightly, waiting for the genius' reaction.

Finally, finally Spencer didn't flinch at his touch. The brunet gave him a tiny smile. "Thanks."

Their family was whole once more.

Finally, it was getting easier to believe that everything would be alright in the end.

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><p>Spencer knew the others weren't counting the days anymore, but he was.<p>

Two years, three months and eleven days. That was how long had passed from the days he spent in Liam's hands. That was how long he'd been limping forward, towards a life where nightmares no longer came to life.

Approaching the door of his apartment he heard a soft thud from somewhere in the building. But he didn't glance over his shoulder, didn't look around in alarm. Instead he opened the door and stepped stunningly calmly to the dark hallway, closing the door behind him.

As he turned on the lights he heard a mew and smiled while looking down. Sure enough Orion was sitting there, staring at him with demanding eyes. "I'm going to have to take off my shoes and jacket first, you know? Don't worry, you'll get your dinner in a bit."

It was clear that Orion didn't appreciate his words, but waited anyhow.

As soon as he'd fed his pet Spencer made his way towards a desk in his bedroom. Once there he sat down and flipped on the device placed to the desk, then put on headphones.

"_National Sexual Assault Hotline operator,_ _Nicky speaking_", a very pleasant female voice greeted him.

Spencer took a breath that helped him feel calm once more. "Hi, this is volunteer Cody Jones joining in."

"_Hey, Cody!_" The woman sounded pleased to hear his voice. "_Listen up, I've got a boy named Mickey from Texas. He sounded like he could use your help…_"

Spencer felt a shudder inside, but it passed by as fast as it'd appeared. What happened to him couldn't be erased, but at very least he could help someone find a easier path. "Patch him through. I'll see what I can do."

For the upcoming half an hour he listened to the horror story Mickey told him, fought against a stinging sensation inside when taking in the boy's heartbreaking sobs, tried to convince the seventeen-year-old that everything would be okay. That one day the nightmare would finally be all over.

It was much easier, now, when he was starting to believe in his own words.

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><p><strong><em>End.<em>**

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><p>AN: Oh, gosh…! (takes a deep breath) I'm feeling a bit choked up now, ya know? I can't believe it's over, now! This story really got under under my skin, I guess. (grins sheepishly)

Sooo… (gulps) Was that a worthy ending, at all? Or should I dash back to the drawing board? **PLEASE,** do leave a review! It'd mean particularly lot to me now that the story's pretty much wrapped up. I'd like to know how the final product looks in your eyes. (gives puppy's eyes)

And, of corse… **Thank you,** so much, for all those absolutely amazing reviews, and of course reading and listing this lil' story! (GLOMPS) You've made me happy and this story feel incredibly loved. So thank you! You guys ROCK! (hugs once more)

Who knows, maybe I'll c ya guys around later?

All the very best, and take care!

As for this story, Sandy says 'Over and out'.

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><p><strong>ari<strong>: I'm really happy to hear you appreciate the 'long road to recovery' path. It just feel kind of unrealistic to imagine that these things would go away in overnight, doesn't it? (winces, then takes a breath of relief and grins) And, of course it feels VERY flattering to hear how much you've enjoyed the story thus far.

HUGE thank yous for the review! Who knows, maybe I'll see you around the epilogue?


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